


Sunggyu's Night Before Christmas

by feminabeata



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Charles Dickens - Freeform, Christmas Party, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Inspired by A Christmas Carol, M/M, Museums
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-07 02:23:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8779408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feminabeata/pseuds/feminabeata
Summary: Over the last year or so, Kim Sunggyu spent all of his efforts in creating a Charles Dickens exhibit at the expense of living a normal life (and sleep, a healthy diet, friends, his love life, etc.). On the day before the museum's Christmas Charity Ball (and the grand opening of his exhibit), Sunggyu notices his ex's name among the others on his guest list, and so at the last minute, Sunggyu is scrambling to find a 'date' of his own but is left with Lee Sungyeol as his only option, although it would be better if Sunggyu went to the ball alone because the night is a disaster, Sungyeol almost loses a leg, Sunggyu makes Santa Claus cry, and the ex brings the 'love of his life' to the party to witness it all.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aeggyu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeggyu/gifts).



> Merry Christmas, aeggyu! I hope that this story was what you were looking for!

**December 23, 2016**

“Everything is just about finished,” Sunggyu remarked as he walked around the room slowly, examining his surroundings carefully as he did so, reading the plaques alongside the glass displays with lightening speed. He had read them already over a hundred times. Sunggyu himself had written and rewritten them several times over. But it had finally come together, his exhibit, his dream which became a reality with the grant he had received and with the assistance of several other Victorian scholars and his assistant. His exhibit showcased one of the greatest English authors of all time (and his personal favorite): Charles John Huffman Dickens.

Sunggyu tried his best to tell Dickens’ life story (or Charlie’s, which Sunggyu had come to call him after getting intimately acquainted with every detail and facet about him). It started with Charlie’s childhood, and the books that he’d grown up reading: _Robinson Crusoe_ , _The Arabian Nights_ , and the Farces of Elizabeth Roylance. On the walls hung pictures of the important places in his life: a childhood home in Chatham, reimaginings of the Warren’s Blacking Warehouse where he worked, the remaining wall of the Marshalsea debtors’ prison where his father had spent several years and had been demolished save for that one wall (“It is gone now, and the world is non the worse without it,” as Charlie had once said), and Gad’s Hill Place in High Kent where he finished out his life. Several of Charlie’s works were enshrined in glass and placed on the pedestals that they deserved, including the Pickwick Papers which he penned under the strange pseudonym “Boz.” There was also a short section of the exhibit dedicated to the author’s love life: his first love Maria Beadnell , his wife Catherine Thomson Hogarth whom he divorced (allegedly) to be with the alluring actress Ellen Ternan. And at the end of the exhibit was a picture of his empty desk at Gad’s Hill Place and his headstone in Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey.

But the centerpiece of the exhibit (and literally the center of the exhibit) was a small, thin book bound in red Morocco leather. It was the original manuscript of _A Christmas Carol,_ which Charlie had given to his solicitor Thomas Mitton and was on loan from the Pierpont Morgan Library (after excessive begging on Sunggyu’s behalf). If this tiny red book wasn’t impressive enough on its own, next to it was a life-size mannequin of Ebenezer Scrooge, complete with a bitter scowl, cane, and a top hat. Sunggyu stopped in front of Scrooge and cocked his head. _Something is not right_.

“ _Just_ about finished?” an exasperated voice piped up from next to him. Yoojung was the unfortunate youngest of the staff and Sunggyu’s assistant. A late night for him was also a late night for her. And if anyone on staff was as haggard as Sunggyu was, it was her. “What else is there to finish, professor? It’s opening tomorrow night. And it’s perfect!” Yoojung tried to speak politely, but her words still had an edge to them. Everyone else had already left to get a good night’s sleep for the opening, and Yoojung wanted nothing else so badly in her life, if the bags under her eyes and waning chipper attitude were any indication.

“Not this,” Sunggyu remarked with a smirk and pointing at the mannequin. While they had moved Scrooge to the _perfect_ spot next to the manuscript, his hat had gotten knocked off kilter. Sunggyu got on the tips of his toes and straightened the top hat. He then stepped away from it and smiled proudly. “There. Now it’s perfect.” The whole exhibit was perfect. Sunggyu finally saw his dream come into fruition. His eyes scanned the room again _. I can’t believe it. It’s done. It’s finally done, he thought,_ and his smile only grew wider. His eyes fell on his assistant. Yoojung had found her smile again.

“Good,” she responded and then immediately bit back her lip, restraining herself. Sunggyu could tell that she wants to ask if they can leave now. And now they could.

“Let’s call it a night. The exhibit is ready for tomorrow, and now we just have to make ourselves ready,” Sunggyu declared as he made his way out of the exhibit. Yoojung was stunned to hear him actually say those words, but after being frozen for a few seconds, she quickly joined his side again with a spring in her step.

“Yes!” Yoojung cheered. “Oh, have you seen the guest list? It was finalized a few hours ago. You were still busy tweaking everything,” she had been chatting with him excitedly, but she spoke the last statement in a low, grumbling voice.

“I guess,” Sunggyu replied back, pretending to be nonchalant, but his bright smile and grabby hands for the clipboard in Yoojung’s arms gave him away. His assistant handed the list over to him. “It’s not like I’ll know many people outside of our group. Is there anyone rich and famous coming?” he asked as he studied the list. Because of the manuscript, the museum decided to make Sunggyu’s opening to be the center of their annual Christmas Ball, which was normally attended by donors of the museum. Sunggyu was excited at the prospect of rubbing elbows with the elite, but at the same time, he knew that he’d have to encourage them to keep investing in the museum. More work for Sunggyu, and working on a holiday nonetheless.

“Rich, yes, and I guess it depends on your definition of famous. There are some familiar names,” Yoojung rambled. She then sighed heavily. “I’m glad that I invited a date to come with me. It’ll give me someone to talk with,” she confessed. “Did you invite anyone, professor?”

Sunggyu shook his head. “I have no one to invite. Besides, I don’t want anyone to detract attention from myself. I'm the star tomorrow,” he tried to play it off as a joke, but it was the truth. He was set on being a self-centered Scrooge. He wasn’t the host of this ball, but it was _his_ (well, his group’s) big opening. His name was even on the invitation, in small print near the bottom, but it was still there. Yes, Sunggyu had made up his mind earlier this week. He’d go alone. And he didn’t regret that decision…until now.

“Huh?” Sunggyu stopped in his tracks when his eyes fell onto a familiar name on the list. And they stayed there even when his assistant came closer to him in order to see what’s wrong.

“Is something the matter, professor?” Yoojung asked.

“Ah, no,” Sunggyu muttered as he finally tore his eyes away from the list and gave the other a forced smile. But now that he looked up, he saw that the both of them were in the museum’s lobby. He gestured towards the exit. “Go ahead. I’ll take my leave soon,” he urged her. But Yoojung wavered, feeling guilty to leave before her boss. “Go. It’s okay,” Sunggyu assured her with a sigh.

She didn’t need to be told twice. “Well then, have a good night,” she wished him, then bowed, and practically sprinted out of the door, eager to go home.

And Sunggyu was eager for her to leave so that he could have a mental breakdown in peace. He sat down on the bench, gripping the clipboard tightly in his hands. “It can’t be,” Sunggyu muttered. Of course, it was possible that someone else had the same name, after all Seoul was a big place. But panic washed over Sunggyu, drowning out those rational thoughts. It was him. It was his ex-boyfriend. Sunggyu just knew it.

This particular ex had been Sunggyu’s longest and most recent relationship. They had gotten together in Sunggyu’s last year of college. And they had gotten along well, which was why the relationship had lasted so long, for years. Sunggyu once thought that they’d have many more years to come, that he was with the love of his life. But that wasn’t the case. Sunggyu was dumped. And this failed relationship was the reason why he was dead-set on being a Scrooge this year (and maybe for every year to follow). If it hadn’t worked with his ex, it wouldn’t work with anyone, and Sunggyu would be better off alone.

Sunggyu was even starting to resent Christmas, just like Scrooge. It was his first Christmas solo, and his last Christmas with his ex had been particularly frosty. Instead of sharing kisses underneath the mistletoe and snuggling up by the fireside, they argued once Sunggyu reached the threshold of the other’s apartment and then he was left out in the cold. They had made up the next day, only to break up months later.

Sunggyu sighed as he placed the list next to him on the bench. Was this going to be a repeat of last year? Will he get frostbitten again? No, Sunggyu couldn’t have that. Tomorrow night was still _his_ big night. He didn’t want anything to ruin it.

Before Sunggyu realized it, he had already dialed his ex’s phone number and the line was ringing.

“Hello,” within a few rings, the other answered the call, and Sunggyu’s ear was filled with that smooth and dulcet voice he once loved.

“Um, hello. This is Sunggyu, Kim Sunggyu,” Sunggyu stammered. He hadn’t really planned what to say, and he was regretting having called his ex in a panic.

The other began laughing, which made Sunggyu’s stomach sink. This was a horrible idea. “I _think_ I can remember a Sunggyu,” his ex teased. “I still have your number saved too,” he admitted. At that (and because of the whole situation), Sunggyu’s heart sped up in his chest. His ex still had his number too? What did that mean? _Does he still love me too? Wait, too?_ Sunggyu shook his head violently at that thought and began rubbing his eyes. _Do I still love him? No, no I can’t. I just can’t._

“So what’s up?” his ex asked, reminding Sunggyu why he called in the first place.

“Tomorrow. Are you really coming tomorrow? To the Christmas ball?” Sunggyu stumbled through the questions as he pushed the other thoughts far, far back in his mind.

“Yes,” his ex quickly replied, as if it weren’t odd at all. Of course, that’s how he always was. “I didn’t know if I should tell you, and I didn’t want to bother you in case you were busy. You’re always busy. I remember that.”

Sunggyu sunk his teeth in his bottom lip and inhaled deeply. That was a low blow. It was the main reason why he was dumped. Sunggyu had come late one time too many until it was too late to rectify their relationship. His heart stilled in his chest, and Sunggyu rubbed it gingerly as he grumbled, “Well, yea thanks for remembering that.” He dropped his hand and switched the phone to the other ear, now agitated. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why the Hell are you coming?”

“Blunt as always,” the other retorted lowly and then sighed. “I was invited as a date, someone whose company contributes a _lot_ of money to the museum and who knows that Charles Dickens is my favorite author and invited me to go,” he finally revealed.

“Is that so?” Sunggyu asked with a groan. He hadn’t forgotten their mutual love for the author. It was one of the reasons why they first connected, and Charlie was one of the only things that his ex hadn’t ruined for Sunggyu, until now. Sunggyu threw his head back, hitting it against the wall. Great, now he had a throbbing head to match his throbbing chest. Sunggyu whimpered as he slipped down the bench.

“Sunggyu, if I could be blunt too,” his ex began, and Sunggyu already didn’t like where this was going. “This person is the love of my life, and so I’d really like to spend Christmas Eve with the one I love.” Yea, Sunggyu didn’t like where this went at all. The greatest love of his life didn’t love him back anymore. Sunggyu drug a hand down his face while the other continued, “But if you really don’t want me to go…” His voice drifted off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

Sunggyu huffed and turned onto his side, resting his cheek against the wall. His ex was still able to twist Sunggyu around his finger, as always. “Come,” Sunggyu told him. “Come, just don’t…don’t do what you normally do,” he begged.

“What?” his ex played dumb.

“Cause a scene,” Sunggyu answered quickly. It was _his_ greatest complaint against his ex.

A roaring laugh broke out on the other side of the line. “When have I ever?” his ex argued. Sunggyu rolled his eyes at that. Of course, his ex wouldn’t admit to it; he probably still didn’t realize what an embarrassment he could be in public sometimes. His voice was naturally loud, and he had little shame (unlike Sunggyu who had enough shame for the both of them, and perhaps another person too). So the ex had no qualms, not even caring about drawing attention when he would start a (loud) argument with Sunggyu in public, and he cared even less when he decided to break up with Sunggyu during a gathering of close friends. So of course he wouldn’t have the shame to admit to causing scenes.

“Right. You were perfect,” Sunggyu’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.  
“I know,” and his ex chose to ignore the sarcasm, taking it as a genuine compliment. “So,” he drawled out slowly. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Eung,” Sunggyu grunted in return as he rubbed his temple with his hand. “See you then,” he said and hung up before either of them could say anything else. It would be better that way. That was better, but everything else was a mess, including Sunggyu’s heart. He let the phone slip from his hand onto the bench. He then buried his face in his hands, breathing heavily.

“Shit. What am I going to do?”

* * *

**December 24, 2016, Christmas Eve**

Sunggyu felt dead: to begin with. Old Sunggyu felt as dead as a doornail. Last night, Sunggyu had just fallen asleep, hoping that he would wake up to a new world. But when he woke up, the world was just the same. After he lifted his heavy eyes, Sunggyu checked his phone and seen that he had indeed called his ex last night, which meant that conversation actually happened and his ex was coming with the ‘love of his life’ to the party.

Sunggyu wished that he was actually as dead as a doornail, to save him from the embarrassment and the pain he’d have to endure tonight, and endure it all with a smile, endure it alone. Sunggyu sat up in his bed and looked out of his window, watching the snow fall in large clumps. Normally, that sight would’ve filled one with Christmas cheer. It was going to be a picturesque White Christmas. But Sunggyu had no cheer to give in his grumpy being.

“Bah Humbug,” he muttered under his breath as he slipped out of his bed in order to get ready to go outside. He bundled himself up tightly before going out, but it didn’t matter. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. The only thing Sunggyu felt was misery, loneliness, and a parching thirst to drink even though he’d just woken up.

Luckily, his friend owned an establishment that wasn’t above serving customers alcohol in the morning, especially if that customer was Sunggyu. However, it came at the price of a reprimanding look from the owner, but Sunggyu would remain unfazed. He always did.

“Good morning, Sunggyu! Merry…”

“Don’t,” Sunggyu cut off the owner’s greeting as he came up to the counter and sat himself down. He buried his face in his hands, rubbing his temples. “Just don’t say it ever.”

“Uh oh,” the owner muttered. She left the table that she was wiping down and walked behind the counter. “Did someone jingle your bells?”

“No,” he snapped back. “What does that even mean?” Sunggyu raised his hand as soon as she saw her mouth open. “Forget it. Save your holiday spirit for someone who cares, Bora.”

Bora frowned. “So you're a Grinch too?” she asked.

“Too?” Sunggyu repeated. “Who else is?” Bora didn’t answer with words but with a sharp nod towards the end of the counter. Sunggyu followed. He had forgotten that the mass at the end of the counter wasn’t a fixture but a living being. The person had stayed in that spot for days, almost in the same pose, frozen like a block of ice. His eyes were locked on the tumbler of amber liquid in front of him, but he wasn’t drinking it. He was just staring with those dark, empty eyes. Sunggyu had to look away. This man was more far gone than he was.

Sunggyu turned towards Bora again. “Honestly, I had forgotten about Sungyeol.”

“I wish I could. I wish he would leave,” Bora responded and sighed deeply. She then shook her head as she turned her attention back to her friend. “So what’s with you?”

Sunggyu told her what had happened the night before. Bora was an old friend and very familiar with Sunggyu’s ex. The former couple spent many evenings at this restaurant. And she was there to help Sunggyu pick up the pieces when his heart shattered earlier this year. However, Sunggyu knew that she was biting back a smile and an ‘I told you so.’ She had tolerated the ex, but never liked him. Bora claimed that he had a shifty gaze that never lingered on Sunggyu for too long.

“Wah, he really doesn’t have any sense, does he?” she remarked after Sunggyu filled her in about the disaster that would be his evening. The owner handed him a strong drink, now knowing full well why Sunggyu came and what he needed. “Why is he coming?”

“It’s my fault,” Sunggyu answered with a heavy sigh. He propped his elbows on the counter and offered the other his wrists. “I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it,” after quoting good ole Charlie, Sunggyu brought his hands back down to his lap, back hunched over.

“What are you blabbering about?” Bora asked with a laugh.

Sunggyu took a sip from his drink, while thinking of how to put his feeling into his own words. Bora must’ve really pitied him; she had given him something from the top shelf. But the pity had the adverse effect, and the drink didn’t warm him either. He sighed once more as he placed the glass down. “It was a gamble, making this exhibit,” he spoke again. “He would’ve come eventually. He wouldn’t be able to stay away. Dickens was his favorite too, remember?”

Bora gripped the counter with both her hands and her small frame loomed over Sunggyu, with a presence scarier and much larger than her size. “But he didn’t have to go to the party tonight. That was a decision that he made, and here you are excusing him again for his lack of common sense,” she chided her friend and ended by digging her knuckles into the side of his head.

But he endured it all and remained unaffected. “Those are my chains that I can’t shake off,” he muttered under his breath before taking another drink.

“Do you still love him?”

Sunggyu cradled the glass in both of his hands, watching the liquid swirl in the glass. “Bora, come with me tonight. Help me carry my chains,” he begged her. “You’ll tell me when I’m being stupid.”

A slender smile pulled across her face. “And I would gladly do it, but I’m busy,” Bora revealed.

“What?!” Sunggyu exclaimed.

“I have a lover,” Bora reminded him in a singsong voice, covertly bragging.

Sunggyu dragged a hand down his face, which muffled his “Congratulations.”

Bora leaned over the counter. Her broad smile could not hide the guilt in her eyes. “So what are you going to do?” she asked.

He placed a cheek in his hand. “I guess, ask someone _else_ to go with me because _someone_ has a life,” he sneered.

“I do!” she exclaimed happily. She then leaned in closer again and dropped her voice, “You know what you should do?” her voice sounded mischievous.

“Go walk into the Han River? I hear it’s warm this time of year,” Sunggyu retorted and finished his drink.

“Don’t joke about that,” Bora replied gravely, but then her smile quickly returned as she continued, “Ask one of your handsome friends to be your date. Make your ex jealous.”

Sunggyu laughed. “What? Is my life a drama now? Ask a friend to be my fake date. No, thank you,” he dismissed her idea and then asked if she could bring him some food. While Bora left to place his order, Sunggyu was still thinking of a solution for tonight. He knew that he shouldn't go alone. That would be dangerous. He needed someone that he could count on _. I wonder what my mom is doing tonight? But Jeonju is too far away…_

“Let’s see,” Bora started talking to him from the back room and gradually walked back up to him. “You’re going to a fancy party in order to celebrate the pinnacle of your career, and your ex is crashing it. Sounds like a beginning of a drama to me. I’d watch it.”

 _What am I thinking? I’m an adult. I can’t bring my mom,_ Sunggyu concluded with a heavy sigh. “Who do you suggest I bring then? Hm?” he challenged, expecting to trip her up, but he didn’t.

“Myungsoo,” was her answer and it was the perfect one. Myungsoo was a devoted dongsaeng, who always came when Sunggyu asked him to hang out and who also dabbled in acting when he was younger. Not too mention that Myungsoo’s looks were a gift from God. _He’s handsome, handsome enough to make my ex jealous_ , Sunggyu thought with a smirk. _Right, I am the star of this party, and every star needs a little planet orbiting them to be bright as the sun._

“Oh, that could actually work,” Sunggyu admitted.

“I know,” Bora retorted with a triumphant smile and left to serve her other customers.

When she left, Sunggyu pulled out his phone and dialed his dongsaeng’s phone number. And Myungsoo picked up the phone within two rings. “Oh, hyung, what is it?”

Sunggyu chewed on his lower lip, wondering how to ask. “I was wondering…”

“My plane is about to board soon, so I can’t chat for long,” Myungsoo interrupted and soon realized that he did. “Oh, were you saying something? I didn’t mean to cut you off.”

Sunggyu had forgotten that Myungsoo was going on a vacation with his family this year. They were leaving today. “I was just wondering if you made your flight. I’m glad you did,” he lied. “Have a good trip.”

Myungsoo chuckled softly. “Thanks. I will. Oh, and tonight is the big night, right?” he asked excitedly.

“The opening? Yea,” Sunggyu grumbled.

“You’ll be great tonight. You worked hard,” Myungsoo tried to encourage the other, but his cheering fell on deaf ears.

“Thanks,” Sunggyu mumbled with very little heart.

Luckily, Myungsoo was distracted and didn’t have enough time to pursue his futile cheering any further. “Oh, I have to go. They’re boarding. Merry Christmas, hyung!” he chirped.

Sunggyu winced at that farewell but grumbled it in turn, “Merry Christmas, Myungsoo.” He hung up the call and put the phone on the countertop, running his fingers through his hair. “So much for that. What now?” he thought aloud. Then it was as if God Himself had heard and his prayers were answered. Another handsome man walked up to Sunggyu’s side, wiping a table nearby. This boy would be a good back-up for Myungsoo. He was certainly handsome enough, but he had an insubordinate streak in him, especially against Sunggyu with whom the young waiter was a little too comfortable and informal. It would be risky to have him as a fake date. However, for lack of options, Sunggyu took the gamble. “Hey, Lee Sungjong,” he called out to the young worker. And when Sungjong looked up at him, Sunggyu put on the brightest smile that he could muster. “Do you have any plans for tonight? I…”

“No thanks,” Sungjong cut the elder off, straightening himself up. “I overheard you and noona earlier. I’m not interested,” he revealed and then mumbled as he walked past the elder. “Besides…I already have plans.” With that said, he disappeared into the backroom.

But that didn’t stop Sunggyu from shouting after him. His loud voice filled the small restaurant. “Really? With who? Who are you going out with? Who?!” his voice grew louder the longer Sungjong ignored him. After being ignored one too many times, Sunggyu left the other with: “I didn’t want you to come anyway!”

Only Sungjong disregarded him. The rest of the customers turned to stare at Sunggyu, even the frozen Sungyeol thawed just enough to twist his neck and fix his empty eyes on Sunggyu. Sunggyu was impervious to their stares, especially since Bora had come back with his meal. After taking a large bite, he asked her, while pointing towards the backroom with his spoon, “Since when is that kid dating?”

Bora shrugged. “He doesn’t tell me either. He knows that I’d talk to you about it.”

“Smart kid,” Sunggyu muttered and continued eating.

“So I was thinking, for your fake date how about Heechul?” Bora suggested. Sunggyu raised his head from his dish and stared at her blankly. He then sputtered. He covered his mouth and laughed. Bora broke down into laughter as well, shaking her head furiously.

“That’s a good one,” Sunggyu spoke through his chuckles. He then regained his composure, letting out a deep breath. “I guess I’m going alone then,” he concluded.

“I think we’re overlooking the obvious choice here,” Bora remarked. She raised her eyebrows and lowered her voice as she continued, “There’s someone that we _know_ has no plans tonight at all.” At that, their eyes drifted down to the cold end of the counter. Sungyeol was staring at his glass again. Sunggyu couldn’t laugh off this suggestion like he did with the other. No, as miserable as Sunggyu was right now, he actually pitied Sungyeol. At least he wasn’t as miserable as that fellow.

“Overlooking for a reason,” Sunggyu replied. “He’s been through enough torture recently.” And Sungyeol was truly a tortured soul right now. Much like Sunggyu, Sungyeol had also been dumped, but his wound was far fresher and far deeper than Sunggyu’s. Sunggyu’s relationship was a sinking ship. There had been signs; they were knee deep in water before his ex threw him overboard. But Sungyeol had been blind-sided. They were going to be engaged soon. He had met her parents, and she met his. Sungyeol had even bought the ring. However, his future bliss with her was shattered when she came up to him in the break room and said: “the love is gone.” And that was it. They were finished. Well, this was all that Sunggyu could gather from a drunk and blubbering Sungyeol a few nights ago. There had to be more to it. And there was. Sungyeol’s ex, Minah, was the niece of his boss’ boss. Sunggyu could only assume that Sungyeol didn’t have the specs to appease her family, or maybe even herself. In any case, the last thing Sungyeol needed right now was to be a part of some silly charade to fool Sunggyu’s ex.

But Bora disagreed. “Maybe he’d be flattered,” she guessed.

“Flattered?” Sunggyu repeated, raising an eyebrow. He doubted it. _What if he takes it the wrong way?_ Sunggyu and Sungyeol weren’t the closest. They were friends because their friends were friends. The two of them hardly ever spent time alone. Furthermore, Sungyeol knew about Sunggyu’s sexuality, but Sunggyu didn’t know how the other felt about it. For that reason, asking Sungyeol to be his fake date was riskier than asking Lee Sungjong (any maybe even Heechul).

“What do you have to lose?” Bora challenged.

“You have a point,” he admitted. It wasn’t like he and Sungyeol could grow further apart. So Sunggyu fortified himself with one last spoonful of rice before walking over to the frozen man and sliding into the cold, empty seat next to him. “Hey,” Sunggyu greeted him after chewing and swallowing.

Sungyeol didn’t look up from his glass, but he still responded in a gravely voice, “Hey.” He sounded as if he hadn’t slept or drank anything besides liquor in the last 24 hours. And he smelt like he had too.

“How are things?” Sunggyu asked, although he already knew the answer.

“Things suck.” Yea, that was the answer that Sunggyu had expected. What he didn’t expect was for Sungyeol to move. The man lifted his eyes not up to Sunggyu but to Bora. “Do you really have to play this kind of music?” his scratchy voice scraped over the words.

Bora rolled her eyes. “It’s Christmas Eve,” she reminded him.

“Please?” Sungyeol begged with watery eyes, acting as if she was playing his own funeral dirge rather than _Jingle Bell Rock_. But his entreaty worked. Bora went into the backroom and changed the song to _Blue Christmas_ , which satisfied her customer. “Thank you,” Sungyeol raised his voice as loud as he could to call out to her. “This is much better,” he mumbled and dropped his gaze back to his glass.

Sunggyu sighed. This time it wasn’t for himself, but for Sungyeol. Sungyeol was the only thing today that could affect him, move him. And Sunggyu’s hand moved to pat Sungyeol’s back unconsciously. A man with little comfort of his own was offering what he had to the other. “You want to hear something funny?” he asked the broken man. Sungyeol moved his head just barely, and Sunggyu took it as assent. “You know that exhibit that I’ve been working on?” Sunggyu asked.

“Charles Dickens,” Sungyeol responded.

A slender smile spread across Sunggyu’s face. “Yea, that one,” he said, giving the other one last hardy pat before dropping his hand from the other. He then continued, “The museum is hosting its annual Christmas Ball tonight, and my exhibit is the main event.”

Sungyeol then finally lifted his head and met the elder’s gaze. “Congratulations,” he muttered. And his eyes weren’t empty any longer. There was a spark of curiosity in them now.

The smile broadened. “Thanks,” Sunggyu responded. “But last night I found out that my ex is coming.” Sungyeol’s eyes widened and the spark of curiosity blazed into a conflagration of shock. “And he’s coming with the love of his life.”

Sungyeol made an indescribable noise, especially since he had been drinking, and then asked, “Is your ex the one that I’ve met?”

“Yea.”

Sungyeol set his drink aside and turned towards Sunggyu. “I didn’t like him,” he remarked.

“Is that so?” Sunggyu retorted.

Sungyeol nodded. “Yea. But all exes are horrible.” He then let out a great sigh and looked off into the distance. “Exes have the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our days light or burdensome; to give us pleasure or nothing but f***ing pain,” his voice was low to begin with, but it gradually built strength as he continued, although still rough and raspy. He looked up at Sunggyu, hurt and angry. “Their powers lie in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count them up. Before we know it, we are either taken in by them again or turned away even more so. But when they make us happy, that in itself is worth a small fortune.” His voice dropped to a whisper again. Sungyeol then turned away and picked up his glass again; however, he did drink from it this time, a long draught.

“And when they don’t?” Sunggyu challenged. “What happens when they don’t make us happy?”

“Then we die another death, bringing that small fortune with us to the grave,” Sungyeol answered quickly, not stopping to think it over. It seemed like he already had thought all of this out very thoroughly.

“Ain’t that the truth?” Sunggyu agreed. “That was well said,” he praised.

“Thanks. These days I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” Sungyeol admitted. “I’ve been spending a lot of time by myself, too much time.”

This was it. Sunggyu finally saw and opening and he took it. “Are you, by chance, spending tonight alone too?” he stumbled through the question.

Sungyeol cocked an eyebrow and drawled out, “Yes.”

“Do…do you want to come to the Christmas Ball with me as my date tonight?” Sunggyu asked at last.

Sungyeol looked more surprise than when Sunggyu had told him about his ex. “But I’m not gay!” Sungyeol replied.

“It’s not for real,” Sunggyu tried to persuade the other. His voice was laced with laughter, knowing how ridiculous this all was. “I want to show my ex that I don’t need him anymore, that I’m doing fine…no, that I’m better off without him. Would you mind helping with that? Take away a bit of my ex’s power?” he turned the other’s words against him.

“ _You_ want _me_ to make _him_ jealous?” Sungyeol summarized and gestured between him and Sunggyu.

“In a way, yes.” In every way, yes. But what Sunggyu needed more than a fake date was a comrade, and Sungyeol, another friend with a broken heart, would fulfill that role nicely.

Sungyeol cautiously but his hand onto the other’s shoulder. “Sunggyu-ssi, I know _exactly_ how you feel. Trust me, I do. If Minah were to…but I don’t think…” he tried to find the words to decline Sunggyu’s kind offer.

But Sunggyu pulled out his trump card: “There’s an open bar.”

“I don’t think I’m doing anything else tonight. “ And Sungyeol was swayed. “I’ll do it. I’ll be gay just for you. I love you,” his voice already sounding more lively than before.

“Save it for tonight,” Sunggyu told him with a chuckle. “Don’t overdo it.”

“I won’t. I won't,” Sungyeol promised with a (pained) smile. “I’ll be the best fake date that you’ve ever had.”

“I hope that you’ll be the only fake date that I ever have.”

* * *

Sungyeol thawed more and more as he and Sunggyu discussed the details of the evening. He practically melted back into a human being, warmed by the fires of revenge. Although it wasn’t his own ex, Sungyeol was greatly looking forward at the prospect of usurping any ex’s power. And Sunggyu was grateful that Sungyeol was focusing on something else other than himself and his misery.

After straightening out the details, the two departed in order to get ready for the night. Sunggyu tried to look as dignified and sophisticated as he could, and not like he’d been drinking for the past few hours. However, that task proved too difficult. Since he’d been planning on attending the party alone, before he didn’t care what he was going to wear, and he’d unfortunately promised his colleague Dongwoo that their entire group responsible for the exhibit would wear tacky Christmas sweaters to the event. Sunggyu had initially liked the idea because their group would be able to stand out from the rest of the partygoers, but now, as he was looking at his own reflection in the mirror, he hated it. He hated the way he looked. No matter how he styled his hair couldn’t fix the fact that he was wearing a reindeer with a shiny, red nose on his chest. Sunggyu tried to dress up the sweater with a collared shirt and tie, but he still looked tacky. All he could do was cover the sweater with a sports coat, all buttoned up. At this point, Sunggyu would rather sweat and die from being overheated than to die from embarrassment when his ex would see him in this sweater. Not quite satisfied with his looks but could do no better, Sunggyu left his part to pick up his date.

When Sungyeol answered the door, Sunggyu came to a realization: it didn’t matter how handsome he looked, what matter was how handsome his date was. And Sungyeol, indeed, looked very, very handsome. Sunggyu had forgotten what Sungyeol looked like when he put a bit of effort into his appearance. And for tonight, Sungyueol had put in _a lot_ of effort.

“Whoa,” Sunggyu muttered in astonishment. “You look handsome.”

“I know,” Sungyeol responded back cheekily. “But, hyung, what are you wearing?” he sputtered into a laugh as he asked.

“Aish,” Sunggyu cursed and winced. “I made a promise.”

“You look like you lost a bet,” Sungyeol retorted.

“I feel like I did,” the other admitted. “Well, shall we go?”

“Ah, hold on,” Sungyeol begged of him. “You caught me right as I was about to put my contacts in. I can barely see the poop on your sweater,” he said as he walked into the bathroom.

“It’s not poop! It’s Rudolph!” Sunggyu shouted after him.

“Shit!”

“No! Rudolf!”

Sungyeol poked his head out of his bathroom with one eye shut tightly. “No, I think I ripped by contact. They were my last pair too,” he revealed. “Oh, it is Rudolph!” Sungyeol exclaimed, pointing at the sweater. After that, he ducked back into his bathroom. “I guess I’ll have to wear these.”

“Wear whatever you need too, but hurry!” Sunggyu commanded. “We have to go! Come on!”

“I’m coming. I’m coming. Aish! Cool your jets,” Sungyeol grumbled as he walked out of the bathroom, and Sunggyu burst into laughter upon seeing his date. “Wh-what?” Sungyeol blubbered.

“You look like you aged years in a few seconds,” Sunggyu teased, still chuckling. He pointed at the round, wire-rimmed glasses perched on Sungyeol’s nose. “I think my father has those glasses.”

“Then your father is a fashionable man. These glasses are a trend now. A trend!” Sungyeol insisted as he pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose. But the old-fashioned glasses, paired with the pushed back hair, Sungyeol looked as if he was cosplaying as a middle-aged man, especially now since he was frowning deeply and wrinkling his brow. Sunggyu’s laughter renewed. “Didn’t you say that we have to get going?” Sungyeol asked.

“Yea, yea,” Sunggyu replied. “Let’s go, hyung.”

“What? I look like your hyung now?” Sungyeol challenged as he closed the door to his apartment and walked with Sunggyu down the hall.

“Eung,” Sunggyu hummed with a cheeky smile on his lips.

“I kinda like that. Let’s make it so that I’m the hyung tonight,” Sungyeol suggested.

“No way. Not even in your dreams, Sungyeol-ah,” Sunggyu put the other in his place. He then glanced at the younger out of the corner of his eye as they walked down the hall. It had finally hit him, what they were about to do. Up until this point, it seemed like a ridiculous plan that they were never going to follow through with, but now here they were, walking side by side, more like acquaintances than lovers. Both of them were apart from each other, leaving enough room for another person between them. Their hands were deep within in pockets of their pants. Sunggyu faced forward again and cocked his head. Was this really going to work? Would _he_ believe it, the man who knew Sunggyu best? _I guess we will see._

* * *

Sunggyu didn’t feel ready as they walked up to the doors of the museum, and Sungyeol didn’t seem ready either. He was a step behind Sunggyu, almost as if he was using Sunggyu was a shield. The professor could understand perfectly well why Sungyeol was apprehensive. Neither of them knew what to expect. Sungyeol was probably regretting his decision to come, but it was too late to back out for either of them.

But Sunggyu’s apprehension was soon replaced with excitement as he opened the door to the party, gradually seeing the beautiful winter wonderland that unfolded before them, the twinkling lights and fragrant evergreens. And that’s when Sunggyu remembered, _This is all for me. This is my opening_. He looked back at Sungyeol with a broad and proud smile, opening the door for the other to share this monumental moment with him.

“Whoa!” Sungyeol exclaimed in amazement as he stepped inside. “You guys went all out. Looks nice. Good job, hyung.”

“I didn’t plan the party. Only the gallery,” Sunggyu admitted.

“Oh well,” the other stammered. “It still looks nice.”

“It does,” Sunggyu agreed. And his heart still swelled with pride as he scanned the makeshift ballroom. He might not have planned all of this, but he felt as if he had. All of his efforts these past grueling months finally paid off and culminated into this moment.

“Hyung, look” Sungyeol called to the other softly as he stepped in closer to Sunggyu. Their sides were now brushing against each other, and they probably looked like they were a couple for once. Sungyeol raised his hand as he gestured towards the stage along the wall on the other side of the room. There was a small band, dressed like a group of elves with their two singers clad like modern versions of Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. “Shiny Santa,” Sungyeol joked, referring to Santa’s suit that was glimmering under the stage lights. “This party sure is fancy,” he praised, his head swiveling around to take it all in. “Wow!”

“Eung, it is,” Sunggyu remarked. His steps quickened towards the stage, more specifically to the room next to the stage, his exhibit. He couldn’t wait to go inside, to see all of the people enjoying what him and his team created. But before he could get too far, Sungyeol’s hand clamped on his shoulder and he was turned away from his goal.

“Hyung! The bar is this way,” Sungyeol told him excitedly. “Let’s go. Open bar! Open bar!”

“Oh okay,” Sunggyu muttered, casting one last glance back at his exhibit. It would still be there, he had to remind himself, and it would be better to enter the exhibit with the other members of his team. Also, a drink didn’t sound bad right now; in fact, it sounded exactly what he needed, after realizing how hard his heart was hammering in his chest. When did he get so nervous? Sunggyu inhaled deeply and let Sungyeol guide him to the bar.

Luckily, since they arrived soon after the doors opened, there were few people crowding around the bar. Dongwoo, Sunggyu’s colleague and also clad in a Christmas sweater (but his lit up. Apparently Dongwoo took “tacky” seriously), was there with a drink already in hand. Dongwoo was his usual jittery self, and that put Sunggyu at ease. He wasn’t the only one nervous about how the exhibit would be received. However, Dongwoo ended up making Sunggyu even more nervous. When Sunggyu introduced Sungyeol as his “date,” Dongwoo said how nice it was that Sunggyu’s “friend” could join them. Just friend. Even Dongwoo, whose eyes were flitting all over the room distractedly, could easily see how fake this couple was _. This is aiming to be a disaster_ , Sunggyu thought as he looked over at Sungyeol, who was more concerned with drinking than being Sunggyu’s date. If they couldn’t convince Dongwoo, who believed (almost) everything Sunggyu would tell him, whom could they convince? _Not him_.

But Sunggyu wasn’t given much time to dwell on it before he was whisked away again; this time by Dongwoo, with an arm wrapped around Sunggyu’s shoulders. They were heading over to the exhibit now. Dongwoo had been in earlier by himself, completely by himself. No one else was in the room. But now, he had seen a few people enter the room, and he began pushing Sunggyu over in that direction. Eventually, Sunggyu tore himself away from his colleague and picked up his pace. He was growing more excited and anxious. His heart was pounding away in his chest again. When he’d enter the room, what would he see? Would they be carefully reading the plaques that he painstakingly wrote? Or would they be breezing through the room, barely glancing at the books and pictures? What kind of people would be in there? Did they like Charlie too? Did they even know him? Sunggyu couldn’t wait for the answers to those questions. He’d been waiting for months too long for this moment.

And then, this was it. He stepped inside the room. Suddenly Sunggyu was conscious of a thousand odors floating in the air, each one connected with a thousand thoughts, hopes, and joys, and cares, long, long forgotten. He stiffened at the recollection, the images of days and nights, both cold and warm, spent in the arms of _that_ man with _that_ scent. It was him, standing in the dead center of the room, in front of Sunggyu’s prized display. The professor hadn’t expected encountering this ghost from his past so soon.

“Hello, Sunggyu.” After hearing the footsteps enter the room, the ghost turned around and greeted him so casually, as if they had just met the other day, like they were still together. And that warm smile, he looked happy. Was he happy? Happy to see Sunggyu?

“Hi,” the professor barely gave breath to the word. The spirit had ripped all the air from him.

Sunggyu’s ex turned to face him head-on. “I cheated,” he admitted with a soft chuckle. “I know that I should’ve seen the entire exhibit first, but this, god damn, this is beautiful.” He looked back at the red, leather book again. True to form, he wasn’t satisfied with just looking. His hand reached for the glass closer, and closer, and…

“Don’t,” Sunggyu commanded sternly as he stepped forward and batted the other’s hand away. “Didn’t you read the sign? This thing is rigged with lasers. You’ll set off the alarm,” Sunggyu raised his voice, not caring if he was being disrespectful.

But the ex didn’t notice his tone, but he did finally notice the sign that warned about the lasers. He pressed his thumb against it. “Oh look. There it is,” he said in mild surprise. The smile then grew wider and prouder. “You did a wonderful job, Sunggyu,” he spoke softly.

Sunggyu checked himself. “You just said that you hadn’t seen the rest of the exhibit,” the professor reminded him.

“But this in itself is perfection. It’s beautiful, really,” the ex excused himself, casting another glance at the display. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from it for more than a few seconds, but whenever he did, his eyes would fall back on Sunggyu, only Sunggyu. “I’m proud of you.” He was serious like the grave. The man took his hand off of the sign finally and patted Sunggyu’s arm gently. He was never satisfied with just looking. “So how have you been?” he asked.

Sunggyu bowed his head, hiding the faint smile that was forming on his lips. But he couldn’t hide his soft snort from the other as he answered, “Tired.”

“I bet,” the man replied with a cackle. Sunggyu could feel his chains weighing him down, shackled to the other. He hadn’t realized how tightly the iron had clamped around his wrists until he heard someone behind him clear his throat. Sunggyu’s head whipped back, and he saw Sungyeol raising his eyebrows, at a loss as to what to do.

Sunggyu immediately stepped back and next to Sungyeol’s side. He placed his hand against Sungyeol’s back, trying to look close to the other, but Sungyeol stiffened at the sudden contact. Sunggyu tried to laugh it off as he introduced the other, “Oh yes, this is my…date, Lee Sungyeol. Yeol…” the nickname sounded forced because it was, “…you remember Jin Sang-hyung.”

“Pleasure to meet you again,” Sungyeol spoke and stepped between the two, either acting protective or genuinely acting so after seeing his hyung flounder.

“Pleasure is all mine,” Jin Sang responded, taking Sungyeol’s hand and shaking it warmly. Jin Sang then looked over at Sunggyu as he gestured to Sungyeol, “He’s handsome.”

“I know,” both Sungyeol and Sunggyu answered. Sungyeol shot the other a look, and then softened and snorted.

Sunggyu could feel the shackles loosen, now remembering not his past but his present, why they were all here. “So where’s this ‘love of your life’?” Sunggyu asked pointedly to Jin Sang.

“Brown-nosing,” Jin Sang answered crudely. “My date is here for work, but I’m here for pleasure…and to give my date pleasure after afterwards.”

“Y-yah!” Sungyeol stammered, taking a half-step closer to Jin Sang.

“Hm? Did I say something wrong?” Jin Sang looked about the three of them as he asked, blinking in confusion. His eyes then fell on Sungyeol and a smirk played on his lips. “Oh, are you _shy_ about that stuff?” he teased.

“No, I am not,” Sungyeol adamantly denied. He then stepped back to his date’s side, wrapping his arm around Sunggyu and drawing him in closer. “And I’m especially not shy about _that_ stuff with Sunggyu, my lover,” the term of endearment was spoken stiffly as if Sungyeol was reading off of a cue card. Sunggyu had to fight the urge to groan at it. Sungyeol was trying and trying to protect him.

And Jin Sang backed off. He raised his hands in the air in defeat. “Whatever you say,” he replied.

Sungyeol was also ready to back out of this situation. “I’m going to get a drink. Do you want anything…sweetie?” he asked, adding the nickname as an afterthought, but this time, the endearment sounded more natural.

“Whisky. Lots of it,” Sunggyu begged. “Thank you.”

Suddenly Jin Sang started to click his tongue. Sunggyu looked over and saw his ex shaking his head. “You better not, Sungyeol-ssi,” he warned Sunggyu’s date. Jin Sang smiled cheekily and nudged Sunggyu. “Remember the little rhyme?”

“Please,” Sunggyu pleaded earnestly but was ignored.

“Whisky makes my Sunggyu frisky,” Jin Sang sang his little ditty.

“I’m going with you,” Sunggyu told his date, and the two of them began walking out of the exhibit. But he still turned back to Jin Sang and excused himself, “I have some brown-nosing to do myself.”

“I bet you do,” Jin Sang replied. He gave the professor a wave. “See you around then, Gyu.” To which, Sunggyu only smiled in response and continued on his way.

Once safely out of earshot and the room, Sungyeol leaned closer to Sunggyu and hissed, “He’s a bigger ass than I remembered.”

“Yea, well, that’s evident _now_ ,” Sunggyu admitted, to a point. He looked about the ballroom, searching for Dongwoo whom they somehow lost, and continued lowly, “But back then…”

Sungyeol heard him and nodded in understanding. “I know, I know. You were _smitten_ ,” he sneered the last word. He wasn’t aggravated at Sunggyu or even Jin Sang now, but the feeling. Sungyeol seemed to know all too well how hard love could hit and strike dumb, knocking all the sense out of one’s head. Now, the life seemed to drain from Sungyeol once again, looking paler and older, his eyes duller and stuck on the ground as he walked forward. “Hyung, do you think that my Minah is like Jin Sang-ssi?”

That was a question that Sunggyu didn’t know how to answer and didn’t want to, but the way that Sungyeol finally lifted his eyes up to the other, pleading for an honest response, made Sunggyu search for one, “Sungyeol, I…”

“Aish!” Sungyeol swore loudly. Because he hadn’t watched where he was going, Sungyeol ran right into a woman. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Sungyeol apologized as quickly as he could, and then he finally assessed the situation. “Shit!” As the Fates would have it, the woman had been holding a generous glass of red wine. It was fortunate that it didn’t spill onto her gown; it was unfortunate that the wine was now dripping down Sungyeol’s chest, looking as if his heart had burst and now was bleeding out. Sunggyu was about to help his date and add to his apologies, but then he felt a hand hold him back.

“And you told _me_ not to cause a scene,” Jin Sang whispered into his ear. He then pulled away, smirking all the while, and waved goodbye.

 _He really is an ass_.

* * *

The woman that Sungyeol had run into wanted nothing more than to extract herself from the embarrassing scene after she had seen that no harm had come to her, so the matter was easily put to rest. Sungyeol’s shirt too had to be put to rest and given honors for dying in the line of duty. The ‘couple’ went into the bathroom, and Sunggyu gave the younger his lovely sweater to wear. At least Sunggyu had finally found an excuse to take it off, and now (save for the holly berry-red ears and pearls of sweat) he looked like the dignified professor that he wanted to be. He couldn’t say the same for Sungyeol, who not only resembled a middle-aged man but now looked like a middle-aged man with several kids. Sungyeol was exhausted, disheveled, and forced into a sweater that a toddler would pick out. Sunggyu didn’t laugh at him this time. His own heart laughed, and that was quite enough for him.

“Thanks for sweater,” Sungyeol grumbled as he looked at his own reflection, tugging at the collar. He then tossed his button-down into the trashcan.

Sunggyu shook his head. “I should be thanking you,” he remarked. Sungyeol’s eyes widened. “Thank you for being here, Sungyeol. I…I don’t think I could’ve met with Jin Sang-hyung on my own,” he sheepishly admitted.

“I don’t think you should,” Sungyeol retorted bluntly.

Sunggyu nodded and averted his gaze. “I don’t think I should either,” he concurred and felt his ears grow warm again. He rubbed his wrist absentmindedly. _I forged these chains, link by link_ , the familiar lines echoed eerily in his head.

But the resounding echoes fell into silence when Sungyeol patted his arm. “Hyung, let’s get another drink,” he suggested, and Sunggyu agreed with him once again. Sungyeol was full of wisdom this evening.

* * *

“Can I have a whisky, on the rocks?” Sunggyu asked the bartender.

“No!” Sungyeol yelped. His head whipped towards the professor; he looked terrified. “No you won’t,” he insisted. Sungyeol then faced the bartender again. “He’ll take, um, that,” he ordered for his date, pointing at a random handle of draft beer. After that, he glared at Sunggyu. “I’m not having you get ‘frisky’ on my watch,” he grumbled lowly so that no one else that the bar could hear.

Sunggyu smirked as he accepted the glass of beer from the bartender. “Well, you obviously didn’t hear the rhyme about me and beer,” he joked.

“Beer?” Sungyeol repeated, eyes growing wide again. “Beer, clear, smear, fear?” he whispered lowly to himself until he arrived at this conclusion: “Sunggyu and beer is something to fear?”

“I’m kidding,” Sunggyu revealed with a small but cheeky smile.

Sungyeol raised an eyebrow and watched the other sip his beer like a hawk. “I’m not sure if I believe you,” he muttered, still staring at Sunggyu and waiting for the alcohol to affect him.

“Just get your drink and let’s get something to eat,” Sunggyu snapped at him. They had been at the party for an hour and had yet to even see a morsel of food. Their empty and ravenous stomachs probably needed the food more than drink, but their hearts yearned for alcohol. Now that their hearts were sated; it was high time to feed their stomachs.

While he was waiting for Sungyeol to get his drink, Sunggyu leaned his back against the bar and looked towards the stage. Mr. and Mrs. Claus had just finished singing _Baby, It’s Cold Outside_ , and Mrs. Claus stepped down from the stage. Curious, Sunggyu paid close attention to Santa Claus who now commanded the stage on his own.

“Merry Christmas, everyone!” Santa exclaimed with a happy grin. Sunggyu smirked. ‘Santa’ was probably close to his own age, with black hair, a clean-shaven face, and a slim figure, but he appeared to have every ounce of jolliness as the real Santa.

Jolliness that he seemed to have sap from Sungyeol. “Merry?” Sunggyu’s date repeated with a sneer. “What right do I have to be merry? What reason do I have?”

If anybody would have the answer, it would be Santa. And this one tried to deliver (even though he hadn’t heard Sungyeol’s question, but Santa works in mysterious ways): “There are many things which I might say are good, by which I have not profited, I have to admit. Christmas being one of them. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round every year, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by their own free will to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I will say again to all of you: Merry Christmas!” he finished his speech to a polite round of applause from the audience.

Sunggyu scoffed and took a long sip of beer. This man played his role a little too well. Sunggyu wonder if the singer truly thought that he was Santa Claus and who in this audience of adults he was trying to convince that he was. For many of them, the Christmas spirit had exorcised years ago, and Sunggyu’s had been the year before. And by the looks of it, Sungyeol’s spirit was leaving him this year. Sunggyu tore his eyes away from his date and searched for someone in this crowd who looked as or more miserable than them. He doubted that he could even find one (or find Dongwoo, whom Sunggyu still hadn’t seen since they entered the exhibit).

His eyes kept returning to a single figure in the crowd, a woman. She wasn’t miserable, but she wasn’t happy either. She just was. And she was following a man that would be about her father’s age. Sunggyu didn’t know the man, but the woman, that woman, Sunggyu’s mind was scrambling to match her face with a name. _I know her, but from where? Not the museum, not the University…from high school? No, it was more recent than that._ He then looked over at Sungyeol, who had finally received his drink from the bartender. He was going to ask his date if he knew her, but Sunggyu’s throat immediately tightened. He could remember the woman clearly now. He had met her at Bora’s place. She was sitting right next to Sungyeol, wrapped in his arms. Minah.

Sungyeol must’ve felt Sunggyu’s gaze because he looked up at the elder perplexed. _I need to distract him_ , Sunggyu concluded and searched for something in the opposite direction of were Minah was. “Uh…What do you think about him?” Sunggyu blubbered as he pointed over to the stage.

“Shiny Santa?” Sungyeol was taken aback by the question and wondered what the other was getting at. He studied the singer for a few seconds and concluded, “He sings well.”

“Yea he does,” Sunggyu drawled out and was struggling to keep this conversation going and to keep Sungyeol facing the stage. His date’s eyes then fell onto him. That was okay too. Sungyeol’s grin, though, was disconcerting.

“What? Do you like him?” Sungyeol asked in a teasing voice.

“Ah, no, no, no,” Sunggyu emphatically denied, waving his free hand furiously. That hand then grabbed at Sungyeol’s shoulder. “Besides, I’m here with you.”

“You know we’re fake, right?” Sungyeol reminded the other. “If you want to talk to him, go. I won’t be jealous.” Sungyeol’s gaze returned to the singer again. He cocked his head and clicked his tongue before adding, “Although, he is a downgrade from me. Literally, a _down_ grade,” he joked and brought his hand from his own head down past his shoulders. “How tall do you think he is? Your ex was kinda tall. Isn’t that your type?”

“Huh?” Sunggyu blubbered, wondering how their conversation took this turn.

“Do you have a type?” Sungyeol restated the question. “I’ve always been curious, but Myungsoo says it would be rude to ask. But I don’t think it’s rude. We _all_ have types,” he tried to reassure Sunggyu so that the elder would confess.

But Sunggyu wasn’t so giving. He wanted Sungyeol to show his hand first. “I guess we do. What’s your ideal like?” he turned the question around.

“I don’t really have an ideal look,” Sungyeol revealed freely. “I’m more about the aura of a person. When you can tell someone is just bright and elegant just by looking at them. That’s…that’s nice,” he finished his explanation a bit unsure, probably because Sunggyu appeared on the verge of laughing.

“You can see auras?” Sunggyu asked, half-teasing and half truly curious.

“No, not really. It’s all about how someone carries oneself,” Sungyeol explained. “If I had to choose someone here it would be…” his voice drifted off as his eyes wandered around the room. Sunggyu gulped as Sungyeol turned his head away from the stage and towards what Sunggyu was trying to have him avoid. But it was inevitable. Sungyeol would notice her at some point in the night. He saw her from behind first. Sungyeol gave a half-smile and began to raise his hand to show Sunggyu that she had his ideal aura. But his hand quickly dropped and his mouth gaped. “Min-Minah?” he whispered. He then glanced over at the other, confused, hurt, and scared. “Sunggyu, it’s Minah. _My_ Minah!” he exclaimed placing a hand over his heart, where she still was. His gaze flew back to her. “What is she doing here?” he asked lowly as his eyes narrowed on her. And in that narrowed vision, the old man accompanying Minah crept in. Sungyeol’s eyes widened and he leaned back. “My boss too?!”

Sunggyu sighed and placed his beer down on a table nearby. That was right. Minah was Sungyeol’s boss’ niece. And this night just became more complicated and twisted. “Your company must be a patron of the museum, and Minah is accompanying your boss tonight,” Sunggyu hypothesized and tried to brush over the issue. “Let’s get some food,” he suggested. “I bet they have expensive dishes.”

Sungyeol didn’t hear any of that, and he didn’t even move from his spot. His eyes stayed fixed on his ex-girlfriend. “But why? She hates stuff like this. And reading,” he stated.

“I don’t know,” Sunggyu muttered with a shrug. “The food? The open bar?” he joked and forced a chuckle.

But the answer was laid out plainly before them. With a hand on her shoulder, Sungyeol’s boss lead his niece towards a young man, impeccably dressed in a tuxedo (and not a tacky Rudolph sweater). Her uncle then introduced Minah to him, and she smiled shyly, with pink blush dusting her cheeks.

“The men?” Sungyeol sputtered. “F**k, is he really trying to replace me already? No, no,” he grumbled as he placed his drink down and then smoothed his hair, pulled down at the hem of the sweater. “I can’t be replaced,” Sungyeol declared and then marched off in their direction.

Or he tried to, but Sunggyu quickly stepped in front of him with both hands on the other’s chest, pushing him back. “Sungyeol, don’t,” he hissed through gritted teeth.

“I have to,” Sungyeol argued and a sly smile split across his face. He pulled Sunggyu’s hands off from him. “He’s my boss. It would be rude if I ignored him,” he reasoned. And Sunggyu could not argue against that. Sungyeol took the opportunity while Sunggyu was stunned and walked closer to Minah and her uncle, calling out to his boss loudly, “Sir! Sir!” Sunggyu quickly picked up his drink again (he was going to need it) and chased after his friend.

“Sungyeol-ssi? What are you doing here?” his boss asked in a gruff voice, cocking an eyebrow in curiosity as he watched his employee come closer. And Sungyeol made sure to edge out the tuxedo man from the conversation.

“My _good_ friend organized the new exhibit,” Sungyeol bragged. He then whipped his head to look behind him, look for Sunggyu. Once he found the professor, he beconked the other to come closer. Since Sunggyu was walking too slowly, Sungyeol ended up grabbing his arm and pulled him into the conversation. With a hand on Sunggyu’s shoulder, Sungyeol proudly said, “Let me introduce you to him. This is Professor Kim Sunggyu.”

“Hello. Uh, Merry Christmas,” Sunggyu awkwardly greeted them.

The old man scanned Sunggyu top to bottom and huffed. “Christmas is a poor excuse every 25th of December to pick a man's pockets,” he declared and then took a sip from his glass.

“Ah, so you're a Dickens’ fan too?” Sunggyu asked excitedly. _Finally!_

The boss shook his head. “No, I never read him,” he replied coldly. Sunggyu looked at him curiously. _Is that a joke?_ The man had quoted Charlie word for word, or was this man a bigger Scrooge than the one Sunggyu had installed in the exhibit?

“Hello, Minah,” Sungyeol finally summoned the courage to speak with his ex.

Minah’s smile morphed while she faced her ex. “Hello, Sungyeol,” she responded politely.

Sungyeol’s smile broadened and his eyes glazed over, as if in a trance. “Hi,” he repeated again.

Sunggyu sighed as he watched his date flounder. It was like looking at a reflection of his earlier self. Was this how Sungyeol felt when they ran into Jin Sang? Probably, and now it was Sunggyu’s turn to free Sungyeol from his chains. “Have you seen the exhibit yet?” Sunggyu inserted himself into the conversation again.

“No,” both niece and uncle answered, the former more politely than the latter.

“Okay,” Sunggyu drawled out, and his attempt at diverting the conversation had failed. Now a tense silence ensued as Sunggyu stewed in contempt. _Why isn’t anyone going to see the exhibit? Why do they hate Charlie? Why do they hate me_?

“What are you wearing?” Minah asked her ex-boyfriend, gesturing at his obnoxious sweater.

“Huh?” Sungyeol muttered with that dumb smile still etched onto his face. He then looked down and gasped. He’d forgotten what he’d been wearing. “Oh! This isn’t mine. This is Sunggyu’s,” he tried to excuse himself.

Minah stared at him curiously. “Why are you wearing _his_ sweater?” she remarked and her gaze narrowed on he professor.

Sungyeol crossed his arms over his body, covering the reindeer as much as he could. “Um, I got red wine on my shirt,” he mumbled out the explanation softly. He bowed his head, putting his bright, red ears on display for the woman to see.

Minah laughed a little too loudly, but it was short-lived. “I’m not surprised,” she said after she regained composure, with a hand over her mouth.

Sungyeol raised his head again, his round eyes searching her and traces of her laughter that he’d missed. “Why?” he earnestly asked her.

“Sorry, sir, Minah, I might have to take my leave,” Sunggyu interjected once again. “I have to work the room a bit myself. Talk to people who’d _actually_ seen the exhibit,” he veiled his biting words with a grin.

“Go ahead,” the uncle replied, looking relieved to end the conversation himself. He wasn’t even looking in their direction any more.

It wasn’t any loss to Sunggyu. He placed his hand on his date’s back and pushed him away from Minah gently. “Sungyeol, let’s go.”

“But…” Sungyeol argued as he craned his neck back, his eyes staying fixed on Minah.

“I want to introduce you to someone, over there,” Sunggyu lied as he pointed at a random, far away point in the ballroom.

But it was enough to convince Sungyeol. “Oh, okay,” he readily agreed and followed Sunggyu. Once they were a few steps away from the niece and her uncle, Sungyeol whispered excitedly to Sunggyu, “So who do you want to introduce me to? Are you going to help me make Minah jealous? Good idea! Maybe after she sees how much other girls want me, Minah will realize that she made a mistake. Did you see the way she looked at me? I’m winning her over again! So, where is the girl?”

“Girl?” Sunggyu repeated. He scanned the room for the first woman that he knew. “Um…oh! Yoojung-ah!” he exclaimed. His assistant was walking up towards them even before Sunggyu called for her. She waved warmly at Sunggyu and pointed towards her own sweater of a Dalmatian in a Santa hat, which like Dongwoo, she wore proudly. Sunggyu sniggered and introduced her, “Yeol, this is my assistant, Choi Yoojung.”

“Hello. It’s nice to meet you,” Yoojung said and bowed to Sungyeol. She then wrapped her arm around the man who’d (apparently) been walking next to her. He was wearing a Christmas sweater too, a bulldog with antlers on his head. However, unlike Yoojung, he looked as if he’d been forced into it. “And this is my date, Lee Howon,” she showed him off as proudly as she showed off her sweater. “Oppa, this is Professor Kim.”

“Oh, hello. I have heard a lot about you from Yoojung,” Howon revealed as he shook the professor’s hand.

Sunggyu glared at his assistant who was giggling sheepishly. “Hopefully she’s told you only good things,” he teased her.

“Of course, professor,” Yoojung chimed in.

“Date? You have a date?” Sungyeol spoke up, eyes fixated on the small assistant.

Yoojung nodded. “Yes,” she spoke slowly, wondering why Sungyeol, a complete stranger, had even asked.

“Yoojung,” Sunggyu tore her attention away from his date. “Has anybody been in the exhibit recently?”

“Not a soul,” she answered with a shake of her head. But despite the sad news, her expression was still bright. “But isn’t this food amazing? How many shrimp do you think you’ve had?” she asked her own date.

Howon rubbed his stomach. “All. I ate all of them. There’s none left,” he remarked. He then glanced over at the professor and Sungyeol, seeing that his lame attempt at a joke fell flat. “Sorry, I’m joking. There’s some left.”

“So are you two like…dating?” Sungyeol shot off another awkward question.

Yoojung giggled out of surprise and turned to her date. “Uh…are we?” she turned the question towards Howon.

Howon was startled. “Why are you asking me?” he sputtered.

“Hyung,” Sungyeol hissed lowly at his friend. “I thought you were going to introduce to someone. They’re dating.”

Sunggyu moved in closer to him and whispered harshly, “I didn’t say she was single. I just thought you needed to get away.”

Sungyeol pulled away in order to study the other. “But why?” he asked, barely moving his lips. Sunggyu was unwilling to answer and averted his gaze, opting to admire the couple’s sweaters instead. It didn’t take long for Sungyeol to find the answer to his own question. Soon Sunggyu heard his date groan lowly. The professor gazed up at him and saw Sungyeol rubbing his face underneath his glasses. This night was aging him quickly. He looked more haggard and exhausted after piecing together the answer. “Oh my god. I made a fool of myself, didn’t I? She just smiled, and I…” Sungyeol paused to groan again and let his hand fall limply to his side before continuing, “I fell for her again.” His back was now hunched over, making it seem like he was shrinking. Sunggyu could now look him in the eye easily.

“Don’t worry. I’m a fool too,” Sunggyu tried to reassure him and patted him gingerly on the back, but with each strike, Sungyeol went down lower and lower. And so Sunggyu gave up trying to console him. Sungyeol’s stubborn chains were weighing him down too much.

“Professor!” Yoojung yelped and pointed towards the stage. No, Sunggyu followed her finger more exactly. She was pointing towards the exhibit, where a faint shadow could be seen moving about. “Someone just went into the exhibit!”

“What? Who?” Sunggyu sputtered in surprise. A smile formed on his face.

“Someone who’s not a part of our group!” Yoojung answered, restraining herself just barely from jumping up and down.

“This is great!” Sunggyu cheered. He then thrust his drink at Sungyeol. “Hold my drink.”

“I’m going to drink it,” Sungyeol retorted as he took the glass.

Sunggyu used both of his hands to pat each of his date’s shoulders. “Go ahead. Drink it all. Someone went in!” he exclaimed again. He then looked over at his assistant. “You coming, Yoojung?”

Yoojung shrugged and smiled apprehensively. “Wouldn’t it be, I don’t know, awkward and uncomfortable if we all went in?” she tried to state politely that they shouldn’t get carried away (although it was too late for Sunggyu).

“Right, you stay here with your Howon,” the professor agreed. He then nodded over to her date. “Good to meet you.” And then to Yoojung again. “I’m off!” And so he was, walking briskly over to the room, narrowly dodging his fellow party-goers.

“Good luck! Don’t be creepy!” Yoojung shouted after him. But nothing, no words of advice or of heed, not a hardened heart, no aid, no magical potion or spell, nothing at all could’ve prepared himself for what he was about to encounter.

It was a person, not intimidating at first glance, slight of frame, walking slowly from display to display and reading the plaques carefully. The sight warmed Sunggyu’s cold heart and his heart raced faster and faster. This entire night, all he wanted was this moment. He didn’t want the open bar, the fancy food, or the chance to mingle with the upper echelons of society, and he surely didn’t want to meet his ex like that. All Sunggyu had wanted was this: to watch someone enjoy his hard work and to admire it, and to admire Charlie. All he wanted was a small crumb of honest praise, and he’d been starving all night for it. And he was going to get it now.

After taking a deep breath and calming himself down, Sunggyu approached the woman as she made her way to the display of Charlie’s love life. “What do you think?”

“Oh!” the woman gasped and jolted slightly. She then gave the professor a shaky smile. “About Dickens or the exhibit?”

“Both.”

The woman turned her attention back to the display. “Well,” she began. “He had a problem with women.” She glanced over at Sunggyu. “Did he really take someone else’s fiancée and tell her that they should drown themselves in the sea?”

Sunggyu smirked. “Well, that’s the rumor,” he answered.

“Rumor or not, he seems like an interesting guy. I had no idea,” the woman murmured in astonishment. She walked away from the display and towards the final installation, the manuscript. “And this is his handwriting. It’s messy,” she remarked with a small laugh.

“It really is. I can’t read it too well either,” Sunggyu confessed as he stood next to the mannequin.

The woman then stepped back and scanned the room once again. “And this exhibit, I felt like I really got to know him, you know,” she commented. “It made him seem more real, almost relatable, and not just this great author but an actual person.” She then turned towards Sunggyu and gave him a warm smile. “It was very nicely done.”

“Thank you,” Sunggyu replied, a bit embarrassed.

“I had a feeling that you had something to do with this,” the woman stated as she spun to face him head-on. “My name is Park Hana,” she introduced herself.

“And I’m Kim Sunggyu. I was the team leader of all of this,” he bragged. While fishing for compliments, he might as well try to catch a great white and not just a measly minnow.

Hana stiffened. “Wait…Kim Sunggyu? _The_ Kim Sunggyu?”

The professor froze as well. “Um, well, I don’t know of any others,” he admitted with a chuckle.

“Nor do I!”

 _Oh f**k no_ , Sunggyu swore in his mind. Now he was frozen to the core after that voice blew through him. He didn’t blink. He couldn’t. He _had_ to watch Jin Sang come up to them, up to her, and drape his arm around Hana’s shoulders. _This can’t be real. This has to be a dream. There was something in my drink, and now I’m hallucinating. Yes! That has to be it because_ …because Sunggyu couldn’t fathom that this sweet woman was the love of Jin Sang’s life.

“Honey, this is _really_ my friend, Sunggyu,” Jin Sang declared as he tightened his hold on her. “And Sunggyu, this is the woman that I told you about yesterday, Park Hana.”

 _Friend?_ Sunggyu scoffed at that. Surely Jin Sang didn’t tell her everything about them; he had downgraded Sunggyu from a lover to a mere friend. Sunggyu stuffed his hands deep into his pants’ pockets. He raised his eyes and met Jin Sang’s with a burning glare. They used to be lovers, of one mind, and Sunggyu was certain that Jin Sang was now aware of what he was thinking, the colorful curses that were firing off in his mind.

“That’s right, Sunggyu,” Jin Sang admitted with a small nod. “I told her that she _had_ to tear herself away and come see the exhibit.” Sunggyu jolted upright. That wasn’t what he was thinking at all. Jin Sang continued, while gazing at Hana warmly, “Do you know that she’s never read Dickens? She hasn’t even seen any version of _A Christmas Carol_.” Hana then hid her blushing face in her hands. Jin Sang chuckled and faced Sunggyu again. “Can you believe it, Gyu? I can’t at all.”

“I honestly can’t,” the professor responded through gritted teeth. _I can’t believe any of this_.

Hana must’ve heard the edge in his voice and the hurt. But she misinterpreted it. She raised her red face from her hands. “I’m going to read his works now,” she declared. “This exhibit really got me interested in him.” Sunggyu swallowed down his rising anger and bowed his head. He’d have to control himself around her. She seemed like a genuinely good soul.

Jin Sang, on the other hand, was not. “I should thank you, Sunggyu. You’re turning her into the perfect woman,” he praised and expressed his gratitude to Sunggyu perfectly by pressing a kiss on Hana’s cheek.

“Stop!” Hana whined with a broad smile on her face. She slipped out of her boyfriend’s grasp and stepped away from him. She brought her hands to her cheeks. “It’s not time for this sort of stuff.” At least, someone else was aware of that.

“I agree.”

That didn’t come from Sunggyu’s mouth. Sungyeol had walked into the room, unbeknownst to the trio, and now he was by Sunggyu’s side. “What up?” he greeted the others casually in spite (probably) being the youngest in the room.

Jin Sang chuckled. “You really _are_ shy when it comes to skinship, aren’t you, Sungyeol-ssi?” he teased.

“No, I’m not shy,” Sungyeol denied again. “I just know when it’s appropriate.”

“Oh, right,” Jin Sang seemed to finally realize the situation. He looked over at Hana. “Not with your bosses around, I suppose. I need to be more careful.” Or it was possible that Jin Sang still didn’t get it.

“Speaking of bosses, I need to get back to them,” Hana confessed. She then smiled at Sunggyu. “It was nice to finally meet you. You did a wonderful job.” With a small wave to her boyfriend, Hana scurried out of the room.

“She’s a busy woman tonight,” Jin Sang said with a sigh as he watched her leave the room. “Hana’s not a workaholic, I promise you. She’s just very dutiful, and one of them came by himself. She doesn’t want him to spend Christmas Eve alone. Isn’t that nice?”

 _I am too_ , Sunggyu bit down hard on his lips to keep that inside. While Sunggyu was trying to restrain himself, Sungyeol spoke for him again, “Yea, _she’s_ nice.”

And Hana was nice, but Sunggyu couldn’t remain nice any longer. “Are you f***ing kidding me?” he hissed lowly. “ _She’s_ the love of your life?!”

For once tonight, Jin Sang finally knew the force behind Sunggyu’s words. “Don’t act so surprised, Sunggyu. You know that I like women too,” he came back.

“Yea, but…” Sunggyu paused to step closer to his ex and he dropped his voice again, “…does she even know about us?”

“Yup,” Jin Sang answered with a proud smile. Sunggyu recoiled, speechless. Nothing had been going like he’d thought, or assumed might be a better way to put it. He had assumed that Jin Sang was in love with another male. After meeting Hana, Sunggyu assumed that Jin Sang couldn’t have possibly told her about their past. But now Hana’s shocked expression flickered in his mind’s eye again. _Kim Sunggyu? The Kim Sunggyu?_ She had meant Jin Sang’s Sunggyu, and not just a friend he’d mentioned in passing. She’d known the truth all along. She knew and was cordial, more than Sunggyu was.

“That what makes her so perfect. She accepts all of me, both past and present,” Jin Sang praised her again. He then leaned in closer and lowered his voice, sharing a secret with his ex-lover, “And hopefully the future me too, if you know what I’m saying.”

“Don’t you think that this conversation is a _tad_ bit inappropriate?” Sungyeol interjected loudly.

“Why?” Jin Sang argued. “We both moved on, and we’re all friends here.”

“You’re no friend of mine,” Sungyeol retorted. He then gazed down at Sunggyu, for whom standing up seemed like an impossible task now. Sunggyu’s knees were shaking, and his arms felt so heavy. Sungyeol wrapped an arm around him and pulled Sunggyu up, letting the elder lean on him. “And you’re not a _friend_ to hyung either,” he sneered. “You guys are _exes_ , and there’s a limit. A line. And you. _You_ …” he wagged his finger rudely in Jin Sang’s face as he was scrambling to explain the situation clearly.

“It’s okay,” Sunggyu cut his date off. He then took in as much air as he could, inflating himself back to his proper size. He tried to smile at Jin Sang, but his lips still tugged downwards and tightly. “I’m glad you’re happy. She seems…lovely, seriously,” he spoke from the heart.

Jin Sang returned Sunggyu’s pitiful smile with a genuine one. “And I’m happy for you too. You guys go well together,” he remarked. “I’ll see you around.” With that, he left, and Sunggyu still felt a tug on his chains.

“Shit,” Sunggyu muttered below his breath as he rubbed his wrist. Even Dongwoo could tell that Sungyeol was just a friend. There was not a spark of romance about them, no tension. After dating Sunggyu for how many years, knowing how Sunggyu truly acted when he was in love, and Jin Sang didn’t pick up on the foul scent of their horrible acting. He still didn’t know Kim Sunggyu at all and where his heart still lied.

* * *

“You go over to the bar and get whatever you want, whisky or whatever. And I’ll get us some food. We both haven’t eaten all night. Not good to drink on an empty stomach. I’ll join you at the bar later, and we'll drink on a full stomach, okay?” Sungyeol told Sunggyu as he pushed the elder towards the bar and was off to gather whatever food he could find.

Sunggyu shuffled over to the bar and slid onto a stool. He was definitely getting a whisky. And then another because he drank the first one like a shot. It was as he was receiving his second glass from the bartender when he noticed someone take the stool next to him. He hadn’t expected Sungyeol to come back so quickly. And Sungyeol hadn’t.

“Oh, it’s Shiny Santa,” Sunggyu blurted. The alcohol had affected him already, loosening his lips.

“Huh?” Santa murmured as he glanced over at the professor. He then turned to the bartender. “Water, please.”

“Santa, why aren’t you singing?” Sunggyu asked, letting himself run away with his curiosity.

“I’m not allowed to take a break?” the singer shot back with a question of his own, but not cruelly, no. He, after all, was Santa. There was a teasing tug on his lips, pulling them up into a half-smile.

“I guess you are,” Sunggyu replied. He then rubbed his temples. “It’s a long party. Too long.”

“I feel you,” Santa agreed and sighed heavily. It had caught Sunggyu’s interests. What could possibly make Santa Claus sad? But it apparently was only a passing moment. When Sunggyu glanced over at him, the singer’s smile twinkled as brightly as his suit. “So I hear that you’re the star of this party, Kim Sunggyu-ssi,” the singer stated.

Sunggyu was taken aback. This man was only dressed as Santa; there was no way that he could also have the omnipotence of the real Santa Claus as well. Sunggyu shook his head. “I don’t feel like it,” he replied and took a gulp of his whisky, feeling the burn consume him whole. He turned his attention back to the singer. “Who did you hear that from? Everyone thinks that the exhibit sprouted out of the ground all by itself,” he joked with a slender smile.

“That guy over there. Your date,” Woohyun revealed and pointed over his shoulder. The both of them spun around on the stools and saw Sungyeol talking with other guests and gesturing over to the exhibit and then towards the bar where Sunggyu was. “He seems to enjoy bragging about it to anyone who will listen,” the singer explained.

“Sungyeol, aish,” Sunggyu mumbled below his breath. He was embarrassed but a smile still spread across his face. Sungyeol was trying his best, urging people to go into the exhibit. He wasn’t very successful, but his earnest attempts warmed Sunggyu just as much as the whisky had earlier. Minah, how could she, how could anyone not find Sungyeol endearing?

“He’s just proud of you,” Santa remarked, thinking that Sunggyu was more embarrassed than he was. “It’s cute.”

Sunggyu sniggered. “You know, he hasn’t even really looked at the exhibit himself or read Charlie,” he confessed to the other. The singer cocked an eyebrow. “Uh, Charles Dickens,” the professor corrected himself quickly.

“Honestly I haven’t read him either,” Santa admitted with a jolly chuckle, but he was quick to defend himself because he saw that the professor was raring to attack, “But does really matter? The exhibit can teach us to appreciate one of the greatest authors and make people read him later on, if, that is, the exhibit is done well.”

“Oh,” Sunggyu gasped, impressed. “You have some sense,” he praised.

“Of course,” the singer readily took the compliment. He then leaned over towards the other. “What? Can’t singers be smart too?”

“I guess they can.”

Santa pulled back and narrowed his eyes on the other, the twinkle fled his eyes. “You guess?” he challenged.

 _Oh no,_ Sunggyu gulped as he watched Santa guzzle down his water thirstily. The professor hadn’t meant it as an insult. Actually he didn’t realize what he said could be insulting, not until the singer took offense. Sunggyu looked down at his own drink and raised it to his lips asking this question before he took a sip, “So have you seen it?”

“No, I’ve been onstage the whole time,” Santa responded with the coldness of the snow.

“Ah, right,” Sunggyu murmured as he put down the drink. He looked at the other out of the corner of his eye. What was all of that before then? About what makes an exhibit good? Small talk or lip-service? He was about to take another sip while staring at the other, but then the singer whipped his head suddenly to look at him. And Sunggyu dribbled some of the whisky down his shirt.

“Can I ask you something?” Santa asked. “Be blunt,” he commanded sternly.

Sunggyu let out a short laugh as he wiped his chin and shirt with a napkin from the bar. That was how all of his arguments with Jin Sang began: Be blunt. “Sunggyu, be honest with me.” And Sunggyu would always answer the wrong way. Jin Sang couldn’t handle his bluntness. He needed a gentler hand. _Probably like Hana’s_.

“I’m a little scared to say ‘yes,’” Sunggyu confessed.

“Good. You _are_ blunt,” Santa responded, not letting Sunggyu slip away. The singer met Sunggyu’s eyes. The twinkle had left his eyes, and Sunggyu thought that now they looked eerily similar to how Sungyeol’s looked earlier that day. _What had happened to you?_ “Do you think I’m stupid? Is that your impression of me?” Santa asked.

“Are you really asking me when you’re dressed like this, Santa?” Sunggyu joked, trying to wriggle out of answering the question.

“Yes.” The singer wouldn’t let him escape. “Especially in this outfit,” he said, pulling at the lapels of his shiny blazer.

“Honestly,” Sunggyu began with a heavy sigh. “I didn’t think you were a genius or anything,” he finally confessed slowly and carefully.

“Did you think I was dumber than you?”

“Yes,” Sunggyu answered perhaps too quickly. “But I think that about most people. Not everyone has a PhD,” he explained himself afterwards, tried to rectify what he’d said, but it was too late. Santa scoffed. Santa Claus actually scoffed at him. And when Sunggyu looked up at him again. Tears were rolling down the singer’s rosy cheek. Sunggyu faced him fully. “Are you crying?”

“Sorry. You just…” Santa sniffed loudly and turned to the side, hiding his face from the other as he got up from the barstool. “You really reminded me of my ex right now,” he mumbled lowly. Sunggyu had barely caught it.

“Woohyun-ah!” The both of them turned towards the call. Mrs. Claus was beckoning her partner to return. “Come back onstage.”

“Oh, coming,” Santa (or apparently Woohyun) answered her, bowing his head and wiped his tears. He then looked over at Sunggyu, biting his lip, but after a few moments of deliberation, chose not to say anything. He left Sunggyu alone at the bar without any words to accompany him.

Sunggyu, however, wouldn’t let to other leave without some words of his own. “I’m sorry!” he shouted. “I’m sorry for…never mind,” the professor lowered his voice and spun back around in his chair, back towards the bar. “What am I apologizing for? He told me to be blunt, and I was. I didn’t say he was dumb. What? Was I supposed to guess his I.Q. level? To think everyone’s genius until proven dumb?” he grumbled to himself as he rolled his glass in his hands. “Should I have lied? I can’t lie to Santa.” He hazard a glance back to the stage, watching a somber Woohyun walk up to the mic stand with a hand over his heart, trying to calm himself down. Sunggyu still caught a glimmer of a tear, streaming down his cheek. The professor sighed, resting his cheek in his hand. No matter how he tried to rationalize it away, for all of his smarts, Sunggyu still felt guilty. “I didn’t have much of an impression of you to begin with,” he mumbled. He hadn’t thought of the singer as a person more than he thought the mannequin Scrooge as one. To Sunggyu, Santa hadn’t been more than a prop in the backdrop of his life. But now, Woohyun (not just Shiny Santa to Sunggyu anymore) was taking center stage and had left quite a big impression onto Sunggyu.

 _I remind him of his ex_. Sunggyu groaned and finished his drink. He then turned towards the bartender, about to ask for another drink, but choked down the request. The bartender’s gaze pierced through him, cutting like a knife. “What?” Sunggyu blubbered.

“You made Santa cry,” she sneered. Her lip curled up in disgust.

“I know, I know,” Sunggyu confessed. “Just call me Ebenezer.”

“What?”

“Forget it,” Sunggyu dismissed. Was anyone besides his ex familiar with Dickens? He then gestured towards the stage. “Anything that Santa drinks, just put it on my tab.”

The bartender looked at him incredulously. “Sir, this is an _open_ bar,” she reminded him.

“Right right,” the professor mumbled under his breath. He glanced back at the stage. The band was starting to play the next song. How was he supposed to make amends? How could he unburden himself from all of this guilt? “Then just…tell him that I’m sorry,” was the only thing Sunggyu could think at the moment.

“Okay, but you’re still going to be on his naughty list,” she warned him.

“Who’s naughty?” Sungyeol asked, slipping onto the stool that Woohyun had left vacant. He placed heaping plates of food in front of him and Sunggyu. He then gestured towards his date with his thumb. “He’s naughty? That’s funny.”

“Yea, this whole night is just one big joke,” Sunggyu grumbled in return and then shoveled some food into his mouth.

“I wouldn’t say a joke,” Sungyeol argued. “It’s more like a tragedy.” He put a cream puff in his mouth and continued talking while he chewed with a hand covering his mouth, “One of us should die at the end. I vote…that it’s not me.” Sungyeol meant to lighten the mood with his dark humor, but Sunggyu was too grave and unmovable. The professor only nodded and kept eating.

“I don’t want a lot for Christmas

There is just one think I need

I don’t care about the presents

Underneath the Christmas tree

I just want you for my own

More than you could ever know

Make my wish come true oh

All I want for Christmas is…you.”

The song was slower than it was supposed to be, and the voice trembled slightly at times. It wasn’t someone asking for another to become his new lover. It was someone who wanted his old lover back. It was heart wrenching.

“Oh my god,” Sungyeol muttered. Sunggyu glanced over to see Sungyeol turned towards the stage, engrossed in the performance. “Look, hyung! Shiny Santa is crying,” he told Sunggyu, tapping him furiously on the shoulder to get him to turn around. And Sunggyu eventually did and slowly lifted his gaze from the floor to the stage.

 _Dear god, I broke Santa and ruined Christmas_.

It was a ridiculous notion to pass through Sunggyu’s mind, but it did over and over again. All conversation in the party had died down. Everyone had their eyes trained on the stage, listening intently. And Woohyun, there wasn’t just a single tear rolling down his cheek now. There were several. And his eyes were brimming with more. Woohyun had to stop several times during the song in order to recollect himself, each time coming back with more sadness in his voice. Sunggyu couldn’t look away, just like everyone else. The man who had just heralded Christmas’ praises merely hours before was now bitterly crying. _What have I done?_

“I wonder what he’s crying about,” Sungyeol whispered into Sunggyu’s ear, not wanting to disturb the performance.

“I..I have no idea,” Sunggyu bluffed. Behind him, the bartender scoffed. Sunggyu craned his neck back to glare at her. Sungyeol didn’t need to know how he ruined Christmas. But had Sungyeol heard? Because he suddenly grabbed at Sunggyu’s arm, gripping it tightly. “What? What is it?” Sunggyu stammered.

“Hyung, it’s Minah,” Sungyeol spoke, scarcely moving his lip but his head, nodding over in her direction. Sunggyu followed and saw the young woman still at her uncle’s side. Much like everyone else, she was watching the performance quietly. However, something was off. Her shoulders were trembling. Her hands covered her mouth and most of her face. “She’s crying too.” Sungyeol knew the signs well. And he hoped that he knew why. He looked at Sunggyu excitedly. “Do you think it’s because of me? She wants me back?”

“Sungyeol, I don’t know, but I wouldn’t…”

Sungyeol sprang up from his stool. “I’m gonna ask her,” he announced. Sunggyu stood up as well, grabbing the back of the sweater before Sungyeol had taken off.

“Sungyeol, that’s not a good idea,” this time Sunggyu’s bluntness was needed.

“Don’t worry,” Sungyeol assured him, taking Sunggyu’s hand off of him. “I got this. I’ll be smooth,” he declared, walking backwards as he spoke. And before Sunggyu could say another word, Sungyeol spun around and weaved his way through the crowd. Sunggyu tried to follow him, but at every step, someone else would step forward (unintentionally) and block him. There was nothing he could do to stop this disaster from happening.

Minah happened to be standing in front of the desert table, and Sungyeol, wrapped up in his desire to see her, wasn’t paying close attention to where he was walking, only concerned with his destination. “Sorry” and “Excuse me” fell profusely from his lips as he made his way over, brushing against several of the other guests and bumping into them. He was a step or two away from Minah when he collided into a catering assistant carrying a large bowl of powdered sugar, which he had let go of when they collided, and the bowl was flung into the air and landed on Sungyeol who’d been knocked to the ground. The sugar fell like snow, coating Sungyeol heavily. The catering assistant scrambled to pick up the bowl and clean up the mess on the floor, muttering below his breath about how much trouble he was going to get into. Sungyeol, however, laid on the floor, listless and uncared for. His eyes were shut tight, trying to keep the tiny sugar flakes from entering inside. But the sugar seemed to seep into every other orifice. He was coughing and sneezing. Bright red skin peered through the cracks in the sugar layer. It was obvious that he was in a great deal of pain and discomfort. The catering assistant left to go find a broom. And Minah, who witnessed all of this, eyes wide in horror, briskly walked away, not even casting a glance back at her ex-boyfriend.

Sunggyu had just caught a fleeting glimpse of Minah when he finally caught up with Sungyeol. _She’s more concerned about preserving her face than about him._ Sunggyu knelt down next to his date. Sungyeol was lucky that his eyes were closed so he didn’t have to see that. But those eyes were the first thing that Sunggyu wiped clean with the edge of his coat sleeve.

“Are you okay?” Sunggyu asked as he helped the other to sit up and continued to dust him all the while.

“Eung,” Sungyeol wheezed in between coughs. His voice was scratchy and hoarse. He then carefully opened one eye. “Where?” he wheezed again. “Where did she go?” After whirling his head about, and not finding her, Sungyeol snapped open his other eye and scrambled onto his feet. “She’s not here.”

“Yea,” Sunggyu replied lowly as he tried to rub the sugar off from Sungyeol’s face. “She left.”

“Stop.” Sungyeol winced and pulled himself away from Sunggyu’s hands. He then carefully scanned the ballroom, still coughing. But within a few seconds, he abandoned the search with a sigh and turned to Sunggyu. The corner of his mouth twitched up into a hopeful smile, a hope that was quickly fading, and his lips shook. “Do you think she left because she was embarrassed? Because I caught her crying?” He wanted Sunggyu to confirms those lies, but the professor wouldn’t. Instead he told him the truth.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know,” Sunggyu replied. _I don’t really know how anyone could leave you like that._

Sungyeol knew the real reason: “She was embarrassed of me, wasn’t she?” He bowed his head and sniffed. “She _really_ doesn’t love me anymore, I guess,” his voice trembled while making that confession. “Aish,” he cursed as he wiped his face. “I’m going to the bathroom.” And he started to walk away.

Sunggyu followed after him. “Do you need help?” he offered. “I can…”

“No,” Sungyeol shot him down and looked over at Sunggyu. Sungyeol was on the verge of tears. If he were just to blink, they would cascade down his face. So Sungyeol wasn’t blinking and looked at the other with a steady, pleading gaze. “I want to be by myself for awhile,” he begged. However, when he took another step, Sunggyu did as well. The professor didn’t think it would be wise or right to leave the other alone right now. But that was what Sungyeol had wanted. “Please, just…leave me alone,” his voice was firmer and his pace picked up, leaving Sunggyu behind in the ballroom.

The professor sighed as he watched Sungyeol exit the ballroom. That made three people who cried in the last five minutes. Sunggyu then glanced over towards the stage. Mrs. Claus was now leading the band and her partner was nowhere to be seen. _I hope he’s okay_ , Sunggyu thought and let out an even heavier sigh. Soon, he’d exhale his entire spirit with the way this night was going.

Sunggyu didn't know what else to do than to return to his plate of food at the bar (and maybe try to find Dongwoo. Where in the museum was that guy?). But as soon as he spun around to go to the bar, Sunggyu wished he hadn’t. He was going to be the fourth person to cry.

Jin Sang was holding Hana in his arms as they were swaying slowly to the song. _That was me, should be me_ , Sunggyu thought as he averted his gaze. It had been him, not that long ago. Sunggyu could recall it clearly, him and Jin Sang dancing like that in his apartment when Sunggyu had come back from a long night of studying and just wanted to be held. And Jin Sang gladly did, holding him tightly and swaying to the slow beat wafting through the room. Jin Sang could be sweet and often was. They did make good memories together. But in the end, now, that was all they were: memories. To Sunggyu, Jin Sang was now no more tangible than those memories or a ghost.

No space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused.

Sunggyu hadn’t been honest with himself or anyone. He was still in love with Jin Sang, and much like Sungyeol, he’d been holding onto some ridiculous hope for their reconciliation. Sunggyu had a feeling that this exhibit would be his chance to meet with the other again. He imagined Jin Sang calling him after seeing the exhibit and saying how much he’d missed him, them together, and asking Sunggyu for another chance. Sunggyu had even toyed with the idea of inviting Jin Sang himself to the ball tonight, under the pretense that Charlie was their favorite author.

He didn’t count on Jin Sang falling in love, especially not with someone like Hana, who was, indeed, lovely. Hana was made to be loved, and to be loved by Jin Sang. Sunggyu hazard another look at the couple, and his heart twisted again. Seeing them like this, seeing how Hana’s head nestled into the crook of Jin Sang’s neck like Sunggyu’s never could, seeing Jin Sang twist her long hair in his fingers, and seeing Hana smile in perfect happiness, Sunggyu realized that those two fit in a way that Jin Sang and he never had.

He’d never liked how casual Jin Sang was, especially when he was casual with Sunggyu’s feelings. At first, Sunggyu thought Jin Sang’s lax style matched his own strictness, and they’d balanced each other out. But it never worked out like that. What Sunggyu truly liked and needed was stability, someone who’d always be there for him, but Jin Sang wasn’t always there even when they were together. And when Sunggyu wanted to solve issues, Jin Sang would just brush over them. Sunggyu had been so _smitten_ that he’d let it happen. He thought it would all work out.

But it didn’t and it never would.

Sunggyu felt his shackles loosen and slip off his wrists. He was free now. He wasn’t in love with Jin Sang any longer. And now he was going to the bar to nurse his broken heart.

* * *

“When I used to look at you, it made me happy, but now…I’m still sad,” Sunggyu slurred as he looked down at the red leather manuscript. After Lord knows how many drinks Sunggyu had and the bartender cut him off, he ended up here, in front of his old friend, looking for comfort.

“We’re a lot alike, Charlie, aren’t we?” Sunggyu mumbled, pointing between him and the book. “We both come from a poor family with debts, but still managed to climb up the ranks and become successful in our fields. You more so.” Sunggyu paused to take a sip of whisky and then sucked air sharply between his clenched teeth. He shivered and then continued his monologue, “But at least you had Katie and Nelly.” Sunggyu glanced up at the mannequin, the looming Ebenezer Scrooge, scowling and heartless. “I probably have more in common with you now. I’m probably going to become you. You were poor too and worked hard to get where you were, throwing everything else aside. Oh god, I’m Scrooge now,” he whined and covered his eyes with his sleeve. When he pulled it away, the sleeve was damp, with whisky or tears; Sunggyu didn’t care. He finished off his drink and wiped his mouth roughly with that sleeve. “I don’t want,” he whimpered, shaking his head and closing his eyes tightly. “Aish!” He threw his head back as another shiver shook through him, and his head slowly rolled back down, eyes landing on the manuscript once again. “I bet the Han River would feel nice and warm now. Do you wanna come for a swim, Charlie?” he asked as his hand crept towards the glass case.

Suddenly, a hand clasped around his wrist and forced Sunggyu to spin away from the display. “What are you doing?!” Sungyeol shouted. His eyes and the tips of his nose and ears were red, which contrasted greatly against his speckled white hair (he couldn’t shake off all traces of that incident as much as he tried). Sunggyu look down at his wrist, and Sungyeol’s hand was red too, and cold. Sungyeol must’ve gone outside to cool off and came back to find his hyung amidst the sad waves of a heartbreak.

“Cold. You’re cold,” Sunggyu whined and shivered. He tried to wriggle out of Sungyeol’s grasp, but the hand clamped around him tightly like a vice.

“Hyung, what were you talking about?” Sungyeol asked and then groaned when Sunggyu placed his empty glass on top of a nearby display (luckily it wasn’t the manuscript; they were a safe distance from that now). Sungyeol quickly picked up the glass as soon as it touched the case.

“Nuffin,” Sunggyu slurred, eyes followed the glass. That’s when he noticed another, full drink in Sungyeol’s other hand. “I can I have this?” he asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. He took the drink from Sungyeol’s hand, who just let the elder have it and didn’t put up a fight. “Thanks.”

“After this one, I’m cutting you off, hyung,” Sungyeol warned him. “I’m going to keep a close eye on you. If you go into any rivers tonight, I’m going in after you.”

“Right!” Sunggyu exclaimed. There was a determined glint in his eyes and his free hand fell onto Sungyeol’s shoulder. “Let’s die together!”

“That’s not what I meant!” Sungyeol shouted with a stamp of his foot. “Hyung,” he called out to the other gently, trying to draw Sunggyu from his stupor. ‘What’s going on? I’ve never seen you like this before. It’s scary,” he admitted. “Is it all because of _him_? He’s not worth it!”

“Bah! Humbug!” Sunggyu spat. He’d finished Sungyeol’s drink, while he was talking. Sunggyu also tried to place it down on the display, but Sungyeol scooped this one up too before it touched the glass. The professor wiped his face roughly. “To hell with him,” his voice was muffled. He then groaned, dropping his hands, and rolled his head up to look at Sungyeol. “Right. I’m alone now. Always alone,” Sunggyu grumbled, his words clashing against each other. “And I like it that way. Yes, I like it.” He nodded at that and then proceeded to raise his voice. “To hell with everyone else. But…” He stopped to look about him. “Why am I alone _here_?

“I’m here,” Sungyeol reminded him, raising his hands.

Sunggyu shook his head furiously. That wasn’t what he meant. “Why isn’t anyone in this bloody exhibit _still_?” the professor lamented.

Sungyeol sighed. “There’s a party going on,” he explained through gritted teeth.

“Right, the party. The bloody party. Better get back to the bloody party,” Sunggyu growled. But before he left, he had to say goodbye to his new comrade. Sunggyu walked up to the mannequin again and patted him roughly on the back. “See you later, buddy,” he told Scrooge with a matching scowl and then left for the ballroom.

“But I’m right here,” Sungyeol muttered to himself as he watched Sunggyu leave. His hyung had surely lost it, or did Sunggyu really think that the tall mannequin was Sungyeol? While he was contemplating this and how to save Sunggyu from himself, Sungyeol heard a strange creaking sound behind him. “Hm?” He craned his neck back just in time to see that mannequin teetering back and forth until it finally fell forward, crushing Sungyeol underneath its (surprisingly) immense weight.

“ACK! OW! My leg!”

* * *

“What are you doing?”

“This is my party,” Sunggyu announced as he ascended the steps and walked onto the stage, stumbling a bit when he reached the top step. Santa came over to stop him from falling flat on his face. With his help, Sunggyu steadied himself again on his feet. “You said it earlier. I'm…the star,” he reminded the other, pausing briefly because when he tried to take another step, he had leaned forward too far and had to find his balance again.

“You’re a star that’s going out,” Woohyun remarked as he took the other’s arm again. “Sit down, Sunggyu-ssi. Where’s your boyfriend?” he muttered the question to himself and he scanned the room for Sunggyu’s date.

“What boyfriend? I’m single,” Sunggyu spoke with a shrug. He then bowed his head. Woohyun held onto him a little more tightly in case he leaned too far forward again, but the professor did not. “ _Forever_ single,” Sunggyu lamented. “I’m Scrooge.”

“Huh?” Woohyun gasped and let go of the other. “But that guy…” his voice drifted off as he searched for the tall man in the crowd again.

Woohyun made two mistakes: letting go of Sunggyu and then taking his eyes off of him. As soon as Sunggyu saw the opportunity, he took it. He shuffled forward and stole Santa’s microphone. “I have something to say,” he shouted into the microphone. Yet, in spite of his drunken announcement, people were still milling about and ignoring him. So Sunggyu repeated it, slowly and more clearly (or as clearly as he could) “I have…something to say.” He then hiccupped. “That’s not it,” he dismissed with a wave of his hand. “Yah, don’t you all read? How is it that none of you have read Charlie?” Sunggyu chided the crowd. One by one, the heads started to turn towards the stage. The professor felt emboldened now that he’d finally had their attention. He could finally say what he wanted to say all night long: “Why did I even bother making this, if you guys won’t even enjoy it? Charlie didn’t die for this!”

“Wasn’t he alive over 100 years ago?” a member of the band pointed out.

“Forget it!” Sunggyu snapped at him. He then returned to his rant: “All you guys are doing are drinking and listening to these kids sing!”

“Kid?” Mrs. Claus repeated with a scoff. “I’m older than you.”

“Really?” Sunggyu gasped. _Of course, I’m younger than Mrs. Claus! She’s been alive forever!_ The professor turned around and apologized respectfully, “Sorry. Ow!” Unfortunately, in his aims to be polite, Sunggyu bowed and hit his head on one of the member’s guitars. And now his dizzy head was pounding.

“You okay?” Woohyun came into his blurry sight again.

“I’m fine. I’m okay,” Sunggyu murmured as he rubbed his head. “But _you_ guys…” he sneered lowly as he turned back towards the crowd. He let go of his head and grabbed the microphone with both of his hands. “Will you finally pay attention to me if I sing? Okay I’ll sing!” he declared, putting one hand over his heart.

“Sunggyu-ssi…” Woohyun came up to his side and put his hand on the professor’s shoulder.

Sunggyu did the same. He grabbed onto Santa’s shoulder and shook him a bit. “You sing well. You can be my back-up,” he announced.

“Me? Back-up?” Woohyun scoffed and averted his gaze, but there was a sly smile on his face. “I don’t do back up vocals for just anybody,” he bragged.

“ _I’m_ the star!” Sunggyu argued. “ _This…”_ he shook the microphone that he was still clutching tightly in his hand, “…is mine.”

“Let’s just let him dig his own grave,” Mrs. Claus interjected.

“I’m not sure if we should,” Woohyun retorted, turning towards his partner. “He’s still has to live after tonight.”

While Santa and Mrs. Claus were debating whether to pull the drunkard off the stage or just let him have his way (they were hazy on whether or not the professor truly was the star or the host of the entire ball), Sunggyu turned towards the band members. “Just follow my lead,” he instructed them.

“What’s the song called?” the drummer asked.

“Don’t remember,” Sunggyu responded. “So just follow, okay?” And then he began singing, from the bottom of his cold and broken heart.

“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart

But the very next day, you…unnnnn na na na

THIS YEAR, uuuuh something about tears…”

Woohyun intervened, covering the microphone. “Do you even know the lyrics to this song?” he hissed.

“I did,” Sunggyu insisted with a pout. “But they fell out of my head. Where did they go?” he mumbled to himself as he looked down and about his feet as if the lyrics were actually laying right there on the floor.

“Just…follow my lead,” Santa said as he took up the second microphone. He then turned to the band. “Let’s take it from the top.”

“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart

But the very next day, you gave it away

This year, to save me from tears

I'll give it to someone special…”

As they sang the song together, some of the lyrics came back to Sunggyu’s head, but most of them still didn’t. He literally followed Woohyun’s lead, echoing his words. Sunggyu might’ve not sung all of the right words (or even the right words at the right time), but the emotion of the song, he remembered well. Sunggyu closed his eyes and opened up his heart as the song went on, hurling himself into that feeling. And then he physically hurled himself, onto the floor. Sunggyu was on his knees, belting the last line into the microphone: “I’ll give it to someone special.”

Once the song ended, Woohyun pulled Sunggyu up and back onto his feet. “Come on, get up. Let’s get you some fresh air,” he said with a groan. Sunggyu wasn’t giving him any help. He thought the floor of the stage was comfortable and was very content to stay there. Woohyun, however, wanted him off. After awhile, he got Sunggyu on his feet, although teetering and pouting. Santa smiled in triumph and turned to his partner announcing, “I’m taking five.”

“Take all the time you need. Just take him away too,” she told him and stepped up to the microphone, apologizing profusely for the impromptu performance.

Which made Sunggyu feel like he had to apologize as well. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled to the other as they stepped down from the stage.

“I think we’re all sorry that we had to witness that,” Woohyun teased as he tugged at Sunggyu’s arm, which was now over his shoulder, steadying him.

“Huh?” Sunggyu muttered.

Woohyun chuckled. “Nevermind.” He continued to lead Sunggyu out of the ballroom and into the lobby. “Just…” he paused as he helped Sunggyu to sit down on a bench, “…sit down and take a break,” Woohyun finished with a groan, slipping into the spot next to Sunggyu. He leaned back, resting his head against the wall and closing his eyes tightly. He wasn’t just tired; he was exhausted.

 _I…I did this,_ Sunggyu thought. Woohyun’s crying face from earlier flashed across his mind. “I’m sorry,” Sunggyu apologized once again.

Santa smirked, opened his eyes, and rolled his head over to look at Sunggyu. “It’s okay,” he answered in a tired voice.

“No, it’s not,” Sunggyu argued, shaking his head so hard that the world was spinning.

“What?”

“Look!” Sunggyu exclaimed, reaching over and grabbing Woohyun’s cheeks to make Santa meet his eyes. “I am _sorry_ ,” he reiterated. “I don’t think you’re dumb. And I am sorry that I’m like your ex. Exes suck! They are horrible, and they are mean. They’ll only break your heart. They shouldn’t even be called exes! They should be called ‘y’s. Why did I date you? Why am I still trying to impress you? Why…why do I love you?” By the end of his rant, Sunggyu’s hands had fallen into his lap, as well as his eyes. He sniffed, and his vision became blurry. But as he blinked, it became clearer, so he kept blinking and sniffing.

“Why? Why are you crying?” Woohyun spoke softly. He reached over and tried to wipe the tears from Sunggyu’s cheeks, but the professor pulled away with a soft whine. Sunggyu wanted to continue to act like he wasn’t crying. He just had something in his eyes; that was all. Woohyun brought his hand back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I agree,” he said. Santa then chuckled and nudged the crying man. “By the way, you’re probably not coherent enough to understand this now, but I said that you reminded me of my ex, not that you were like him,” he explained.

“Huh?” Sunggyu sniveled and raised his head.

“My ex-boyfriend,” Woohyun reminded him. “You’re nothing like him. You’re honest, unlike him. But my ex always treated me like I was dumb, like a child, even though I had the higher degree of the two of us.” Woohyun sighed and shook his head. “I know that I don’t make the smartest impression on people,” he confessed. “I sing. I look young. I don’t always say smart things. And I’m cheerful.” Santa shifted in his spot, growing agitated. “But music takes smarts _and_ talent,” he pointed out. “I don’t want to look older. Is it my fault that I have good genes?” He chuckled, slightly bashful at his self-praise. He then shrugged. “I say dumb things for fun. And what’s with this notion that smart people have to be grim and serious all of the time? Why? Can’t I be cheerful?”

“You _have_ to be jolly,” Sunggyu insisted. “You’re Santa.”

Woohyun’s entire body shook with laughter. He leaned over to Sunggyu, who’d stopped crying, and whispered, “You know, I’m not _really_ Santa Claus.”

“I know,” Sunggyu replied with a great nod. “I know you have to say that, but I still believe in you,” Sunggyu had leaned in even closer and whispered right back. He put a finger to his lips, signaling that he’d keep Woohyun’s secret sealed inside.

“Just how drunk are you?” Woohyun asked.

“Many much drunk,” Sunggyu slurred, his head dropping onto the other’s body, and he made himself comfortable there. “Santa, can you grant me just one thing? Just one teeny, tiny wish?” the professor begged, staring up at the small man in red.

“Honestly, probably not, but I’ll try,” Woohyun promised.

Sunggyu rolled his head back down and closed his eyes. “I really don’t want to spend this Christmas alone. Or any Christmas,” he confessed; his voice dropped lower and lower. “I’m no Scrooge.” He looked back up at the other, pleading, “Can’t you grant me that, Santa?”

A jolly grin spread across Santa Claus’ face. “That I can do.”

* * *

Sungyeol laid under the crushing weight of the mannequin for fifteen minutes before anyone else walked into the room. He had tried calling out for help, but Sunggyu’s crooning had drowned out his pleas. And now, he was intimately closer with Ebenezer Scrooge than he’d ever want to be in his life. Eventually, that small assistant of Sunggyu’s came into the room and yelped in surprise. Yoojung was a bit more worried about damages done to the mannequin than to Sungyeol, but after assessing the situation (and that she was too weak to lift it herself), she’d left to get her date and Dongwoo, who finally had been found again. And those two men lifted Scrooge off from Sungyeol. However, Sungyeol couldn’t get up onto his feet. There was a pang shooting through his leg, and it was too weak to support him.

“Here, take this,” Yoojung offered Scrooge’s cane over to him. “Just give it to the professor when you’re done.”

“Thank you,” Sungyeol muttered as he took the cane and supported himself with it. He then looked at the trio. “Does anyone know where Sunggyu is?”

“Well,” Dongwoo began and glanced over at the other two nervously. “We’re not sure.”

“He was with Santa a minute ago,” Howon added.

“Yea but Santa’s back onstage, singing, and Sunggyu isn’t anywhere to be seen,” Dongwoo pointed out.

“Great,” Sungyeol muttered below his breath. He sighed heavily and suggested, “How about we all split up and look for him?” The others agreed and raced out of the room. The sooner that they found Sunggyu, the less chances the professor would embarrass himself even further. Sungyeol, however, hobbled slowly out of the room, but he was moving as quickly as his body would allow. Sadly, because of the stress of the night, his body had grown stiffer. His back ached. And so with one hand rubbing his back and the other gripping onto the cane, Sungyeol shuffled out of the ballroom and into the lobby. “Where are you, hyung?” he mumbled in a raspy voice as he hobbled through the lobby.

“Grandpa? Are you looking for someone?”

Sungyeol whipped his head towards the coat check desk and the young woman sitting behind it. “Ah yes,” Sungyeol gasped and walked over to the desk. “I’m looking for Professor Kim Sunggyu. He designed the Charles Dickens exhibit.”

The woman smirked. “I thought so,” she said and then beckoned Sungyeol to come behind the desk. “Follow me.”

“Huh?” Sungyeol stuttered in his spot but followed the woman and entered the coat check room. The woman turned towards Sungyeol and put a finger to her lips, begging for him to be silent. She then waved over to the corner of the room. “There he is.” And there Kim Sunggyu was, on a makeshift bed of coats and with his own winter coat carefully placed on top of him. Sungyeol smiled as he watched his hyung softly snoring, fast asleep.

“Thank you for looking after him,” he told the woman.

She shook her head. “You should really thank Santa. He was the one that checked him in,” she revealed.

“Really?”

“Eung,” she hummed with a nod. “Excuse me for a moment,” she begged as she searched through her pockets. From the pocket of her skirt, she pulled out a card. “Santa wanted me to give this to whoever came to pick him up.”

“What?” Sungyeol murmured as he opened up the card and quickly read through it. When he finished, he snorted. _I can do that_. He turned his attention back to the woman. “I can take care of him from here.”

“Alright, have a good night, sir,” the woman wished him and then returned to her station.

When she left, Sungyeol clicked his tongue and shook his head at his hyung. “Someone had too much fun, hm?” he teased. He carefully stepped closer to the other and crouched down next to him with a great groan and a great deal of pain. So he opted to sit next to him “Yes, it’s been a hard night for the both of us,” he grumbled. Sungyeol sighed as he watched Sunggyu curl up tighter on his little bed. “Yah,” Sungyeol called to him and poked at him with the cane. “Hyung, it’s time to get up. The party is over.” He kept prodding the other with the cane until Sunggyu stirred.

“Huh? Stop,” Sunggyu whimpered as he batted away the cane, pouting.

“No,” Sungyeol refused and poked at Sunggyu harder, digging the cane in his side.

“Okay, I’m up. I’m up,” Sunggyu mumbled as he sat up in his bed. He was up, but his eyes were still closed. Sungyeol supposed that that would be good enough for now.

“How are you feeling, hyung?” he asked.

Sunggyu chuckled. “I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man,” he replied.

“So you’re still drunk?” Sungyeol concluded.

Sunggyu nodded. “Very much so.”

“Alright, then let’s get you home.”

* * *

**December 25, 2016, Christmas Day**

Sunggyu woke up the next morning with an aching head and a vague recollection the night before. He’d remembered up until seeing Jin Sang slow dancing with Hana; that memory his heart didn’t let him erase with alcohol. But everything after that was a bit hazy. However, he had a feeling, a strange notion, that something had happened with Santa Claus, with Woohyun. Out of all of his blurry memories, one thing was clear: Woohyun’s smiling face close to his. Sunggyu got out of his bed slowly and rubbed his temples with the heel of his palms. _I didn’t become his elf, did I?_

“Eh, that didn’t happen,” Sunggyu thought aloud, and he walked out into his living room, where he stopped dead in his tracks. “Did it?”

There was someone sleeping on his couch, covered completely by a blanket. “S-santa?” Sunggyu stammered. The body stirred. “Oh crap!” Sunggyu cursed and stuttered in his spot, wavering where to go or what to do with a strange person in his apartment.

“Hyung, are you awake?”

Sunggyu froze. “Sungyeol, is that you?”

“Of course,” Sungyeol answered through a gaping yawn. He sat himself up on the couch and Sunggyu finally saw him. Sungyeol hadn’t showered last night and his hair still had white streaks in it. Sungyeol grimaced as he ran his fingers through his bed head, feeling the sticky sugar. “Who else would it be?” he asked.

“Uh, I don’t know,” Sunggyu lied. “So did you bring me home?” he changed the subject. Sungyeol nodded, yawning again. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Sungyeol muttered as he got up from the couch. He then looked up at Sunggyu with a cheeky smile. “You can thank me by treating me later.”

“Okay,” Sunggyu agreed. It was the least he could do.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Sungyeol mumbled as he picked up his pants from the floor and took something out of his pocket. It was a crumpled card. He handed it over to Sunggyu. “Shiny Santa wanted me to give you this.”

“Huh?” Sunggyu muttered as he took the card. He just stared at the other, blinking.

“Read it! Read it!” Sungyeol insisted. “You read it, and I’ll go to the bathroom.”

“O-oh,” Sunggyu stammered while the other left. His eyes were now fixed on the card. _Why would he give me this?_ Sunggyu thought as he opened up the card. He had half-expect to have it read ‘You’re on the naughty list’ for making Woohyun cry. But, much to his (pleasant) surprise, this was what Woohyun had written him:

“Handsome Santa has granted your Christmas wish for this year. You didn’t go home alone! If you want me to try to do the same for next year, you can write me a letter here...” And the man had put his phone number down.

“You have strange tastes, hyung,” Sungyeol remarked from around the corner. He came out of the bathroom and leaned against the wall, laughing. “I can’t believe you picked up Santa Claus.”

“I can’t either,” Sunggyu admitted, chuckling himself. “I never pick _anybody_ up.” He was amazed. From what Sunggyu remembered, and from what he was starting to remember, Sunggyu had been nothing but unattractive last night. If Sunggyu had strange tastes, then so did this guy. But then again, every wonky pot has a wonky lid that fits them just right.

“So are you going to ‘write him a letter’?” Sungyeol asked, putting air quotes around the last phrase. He snorted. “This guy talks like Santa too.” He lifted himself off of the wall and read the card out loud. It was sweet to read on paper, but when read out loud, Sunggyu grew hot. It was incredibly cheesy. “Are you really into that?” Sungyeol asked after he was done.

 _Am I?_ Sunggyu asked himself. Woohyun, he seemed different from the men he’d usually dated. He was definitely more sensitive and more cheerful than the others, younger too. However, that wasn’t a bad thing, not at all. Sunggyu was starting to think that it was a very good thing. It was a change he needed. _Maybe a little Christmas spirit all year round wouldn’t be a bad thing._

“Eh, what am I saying? Of course you wouldn’t be interested in him,” Sungyeol remarked and walked back over to his couch to gather his clothes.

“Why not?” Sunggyu argued. “I can be jolly too.” Sungyeol ceased what he was doing to stare blankly at the other. He then broke down into laughter. Sunggyu waved his hands in the air, trying to wipe the matter away. “Forget it. Forget I said that. I’m tired. I don’t know what I’m saying,” he grumbled.

“I take it back,” Sungyeol said, still laughing. “You and Santa are perfect for each other.”

“Whatever,” Sunggyu grumbled and folded the card. He looked up at Sungyeol and sneered, “You stink.”

“Okay, I’ll take a shower, but after I get out, let’s do something Christmassy,” Sungyeol suggested.

Sunggyu “Okay. I’d like that.”

* * *

“What’s Christmassy about this?” Sunggyu remarked as he looked about the room. They were at Bora’s restaurant again, back where it all began.  
Sungyeol pointed over to the Christmas tree in the corner. “That’s Christmassy,” he stated. “And, I’m with someone I love.” He raised his glass up to Sunggyu. “Merry Christmas, hyung. I wouldn’t want to spend today with anybody else.”

Sunggyu snorted but raised his glass as well. “Me too. Merry Christmas, Sungyeol,” he said and then clinked his glass against Sungyeol’s. And the both of them took a drink. Sunggyu kept his eyes on the other as they drank. Yesterday, Sunggyu would honestly refer to Sungyeol as a friend of a friend. And yesterday, Sungyeol was just a shell of a man. But today, Sunggyu would call Sungyeol one of his good friends, and the man reverted back to his former self, grinning broadly as he joked around with Bora behind the bar. Today was one of the most pleasant Christmases that he’d ever had, all because he was surrounded by people he loved that genuinely loved him back.

* * *

**December 24, 2017, Christmas Eve**

“I’m late,” Sunggyu yelped as he jumped out of the taxi and scurried up to the building. His lecture had run late that evening. The question session that followed his talk was so productive that no one wanted to end it, but as it was Christmas Eve and people had places to be, they eventually put an end to it, albeit a half an hour later than they should have. That delay, on top of holiday traffic, and Sunggyu was incredibly late, and he didn’t want to be. He was supposed to be spending the night with his own love of his life, which was incredibly to think of, but Sunggyu was really starting to think that way. He’d never felt like this about someone before. Heck, he’d never felt like this _with_ someone before. For once, he felt genuinely and unconditionally loved. And that was just incredible. So Sunggyu didn’t want to miss a single moment with him.

And he wouldn’t. When he entered the hotel lobby, Sunggyu couldn’t see him anywhere. He sighed in relief, walked over to one of the plush couches that were littered about the lobby, and sat down. This hotel was certainly luxurious. Sunggyu snuggled as he sunk into the leather couch. But all of these hotels were. Sunggyu smiled to himself and closed his eyes, resting his head over the back of the couch. He had quite the impressive boyfriend.

But his boyfriend wasn’t very sneaky, like he was trying to be right now. Sunggyu could hear his steps approaching. Sunggyu could smell him, feel him even before he walked up behind the couch and whispered into Sunggyu’s ear, “I told you that I wouldn’t let you spend an other Christmas Eve by yourself.”

Sunggyu snorted. “What? Is it even still Christmas Eve?” he retorted. Sunggyu then opened his eyes and watched Woohyun slide next to him on the couch. He was dressed in the same ‘Santa suit’ as he was last year, which brought a myriad of memories flooding back into Sunggyu’s mind. Woohyun was singing again tonight. Fancy hotels like this one liked to hire him and his band for events and parties. Yes, it wasn’t the first time Sunggyu lingered in a hotel lobby in order to catch Woohyun during one of his breaks. And it wasn’t going to be the last.

Woohyun chewed on his lower lip, looking guilty. “You know that this is my busiest night of the year,” he replied.

Sunggyu scoffed. “Do you think you’re the real Santa Claus?”

Woohyun just grinned his jolly grin and shrugged in response, which made them both laugh. “I’m sorry. For our first Christmas Eve, this stinks. Both of us were working,” Woohyun lamented as he moved closer to the other.

Truth be told, both of them were bit of workaholics, but because they both were, they could understand each other and encourage each other to rest when they had worked enough. After the exhibit had closed at the museum, it had traveled to a few other places, even to different countries. And every so often, he’d have lectures like he did tonight. He was a busy person, but Woohyun was too. As it would turn out, Woohyun did, in fact, have a PhD. He taught music courses at a small all-women’s college in the city. And on some occasions, he and his fellow professors got together to form this little band that played at big events, which made Sunggyu proud. He was proud of his boyfriend and of his hard work. And he was sure Woohyun felt the same about him.

“Christmas Eve isn’t over yet,” Sunggyu pointed out. “We still have…” He glanced up at the clock. “…an hour until tonight ends.” Sunggyu then scooted in closer to the other and placed his hand on Woohyun’s knee. “Plus we’re going to be spending the whole week together. We’ll be sick of each other afterwards,” he joked.

And this was something new for Sunggyu too, vacationing in a foreign country with a boyfriend. They were leaving tomorrow for Boracay, when the two of them finally had time off. And soon they’d be walking hand in hand down one of those white sand beaches, far far away from their beloved work. And for that reason, Sunggyu was nervous. This was going to be the most uninterrupted time that he’d ever spent with Woohyun. A part of him was worried that Woohyun would truly get sick of him, and like Minah did to Sungyeol, Woohyun would claim that his love was gone.

“True, except…” Woohyun paused, looked down at Sunggyu’s hand, and took it in both of his. He patted it lightly. “I don’t think I’ll get sick of you,” Woohyun said with a smile. Sunggyu snorted and averted his gaze. Woohyun was really cheesy, and Sunggyu hadn’t entirely gotten used to it yet (but he liked it). “You’ll make me tired, of course, so _so_ tired, but I’ll never get sick of you,” Woohyun teased in a cheery tone.

Sunggyu pulled his hand out of his and tucked it over his arms, crossed over his chest. “Well, thanks for that,” he mumbled. But he turned to glare at the other, with a deep pout, waiting.

Woohyun leaned in and pecked those pouting lips, exactly what Sunggyu had been waiting for. They both did that to each other after saying something biting that made the other huffy, kiss the sting away, but sometimes they’d only pretend to be hurt, like Sunggyu was right now. Woohyun’s words had actually put his heart at rest and didn’t agitate it. But sometimes they needed an excuse to be affectionate towards each other, especially when they hadn’t seen each other all day.

“You’re welcome,” Woohyun whispered as he stroked the other’s cheek after pulling away. Sunggyu leaned into the touch a little too late. Woohyun had already removed his hand. It wasn’t enough. It had been a really long day. Sunggyu scanned the lobby. No one was watching them, so Sunggyu leaned over and gave the other a real, lingering kiss.

When he’d pulled away, Woohyun cocked an eyebrow, curious. Sunggyu normally wasn’t the type to initiate such skinship in public, or at least he hadn’t before. But why start now? It was because Sunggyu had never felt this way before. At this moment, there were many things he wanted to say to Woohyun, that he loved him, that he was grateful to be with him, that he knew Woohyun felt the same way and how spectacular and rare that was. But Sunggyu couldn’t say all of that. He was too shy and wasn’t as bold as Woohyun when it came saying cheesy things. So he just showed how he felt with that kiss and then said, “Merry Christmas, Woohyun.”

“Merry Christmas, Sunggyu.” Woohyun wished him back. He then sighed and that guilty looked returned. “How mad will you be if I leave?” he asked. “We have a few more songs to sing. My break is almost over.”

“Not at all. Go ahead,” Sunggyu urged him.

Woohyun sat up, slowly, not wanting to leave but having to. He looked down at Sunggyu. “You wanna come with?” he asked. “We can redo our duet last year.”

Sunggyu chuckled and shook his head. “No thank you. I haven’t drunk enough to do that again,” he turned down the gracious offer.

“Well, there’s still time left for you to catch up,” Woohyun stated and then quickly added. “I’m joking. I’m joking. But you can come in and watch, if you want, or…” his voice drifted off.

“Or? Or what?” Sunggyu asked, knowing that was the reaction Woohyun was looking for.

Woohyun grinned and pulled out something from his pockets. “You can wait for me in here,” he said and tossed it down to Sunggyu, who had caught them before they hit his lap. “Good catch,” Woohyun praised. “It was part of the payment for tonight.” Sunggyu looked down at the object in his hands. It was a hotel key. “We can start our vacation a night early,” he announced proudly. “Merry Christmas, Sunggyu.”

“Merry Christmas, Woohyun,” Sunggyu muttered, still looking down at the key, amazed. He’d spent many nights in the lobbies of these fancy hotels, but this was the first time that he was going to spend a night in one of their rooms. He had wanted to, and he and Woohyun would muse about what it would be like to stay for a night. And now they would know. Sunggyu finally looked up, but he was too late. Woohyun had already gone back into the hotel’s ballroom.

Sunggyu twirled the keys in his hands, wondering what he should do. Should he go upstairs and check the room out? Make himself ‘ready’ for when Woohyun would later join him? Sunggyu made his decision and stood up, putting the key in the pocket of his coat. He knew what Woohyun would want him to do.

Nervously, Sunggyu stepped into the ballroom. He stood out more than he did last year with the tacky sweater. The rest of the guests were in gowns and tuxedos, seated at tables. Sunggyu was the only one in jeans and standing. So he leaned against the wall behind a large Christmas tree, trying his best to stay out of the way and out of sight from the rest. But the performers on the stage could still see him. Sunggyu gave a short wave to Woohyun as the other took his place in front of the microphone. Woohyun saw him and was beaming, shining more brightly than the star on top of the tree.

This was what they were _both_ missing from their previous relationships: support. Most tired boyfriends would have taken the keys and went up into the hotel room, to relax in luxury, rather than standing awkwardly in a corner for an hour at a fancy party that he wasn’t exactly invited to. But the room would be boring without Woohyun anyway. And watching his boyfriend onstage made Sunggyu’s heart swell up with pride. This wasn’t only what Woohyun wanted Sunggyu to do, this was what Sunggyu really wanted to do. They matched each other.

Woohyun grabbed the mic and introduced the next stage: “This next song is for all of you out there spending this Christmas Eve with the ones they love.”

“The winter stars, the illuminations on the roadside trees

The veil covering skies, the sound of the falling snow

Hug, hugging even the times we were apart

I want to kiss you softly, my love, more and more

I want to convey my deep feelings to you

My only hope is that, you be at my side

Yes, close to heart, close to my love

The one and only love is here in my hands

I will be here only for you, always

Close to heart, close to your love

Our love blends together, in our hearts, winter rose…”

**Author's Note:**

> I probably tried to do too much with this story, but some of the characters were supposed to resemble those from A Christmas Carol.  
> Sunggyu = Scrooge  
> Jin Sang = Ghost of Christmases Past  
> Sungyeol = Marley and Ghost of Christmas Present (that's why he grew older throughout the night)  
> Woohyun = Ghost of Christmas Future  
> Minah = Belle ("The Love is Gone" was a title from a song in "The Muppet's Christmas Carol")
> 
> Songs: "All I Want for Christmas" by Mariah Carey; "Last Christmas" by Wham; and "Winter Rose" by TVXQ
> 
> If anything sounded weird/fancy, it was most likely a not well integrated quote from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.


End file.
